The Mythril Alchemist
by Blackshadow999
Summary: Matthew Selvess a young alchemist is searching for a way to correct a mistake he made. Little does he know that there are those who wish him to fail and others who want him to disappear. Will Matthew and his sister Maria fix things or will they die trying? This is their story their journey. Please RxR
1. 1: A Lead Gone Ary

**A/n**

**I have combined the prologue with chapter 1. I have also added things here and there to clarify and enrich stuff and hopefully create a better picture! Now the story begins. Just want to say that right now so don't say that Matthew and Maria are copies, they are not as you will see. Edward and Alphonse do come into this story at a later point but not yet. Now I don't own any of the Full Metal Alchemist characters or any of the other stuff from the said universe. I do claim ownership to my characters and my inspiration. Thank you for reading and enjoy. Please review.**

Chapter 1: A Lead Gone Awry

_-Prologue-_

My name is Matthew Selvess and I am fifteen as of three weeks ago. It is early morning as it is 8:30 a.m. I opened my eyes as I felt morning sunlight hit my face. Locks of my long tan colored hair laid over my face, but not over my eyes, just on the sides and between my eyes. That said hair of mine went down to my mid-back, so it was long for me being a boy. I have had people tell me to get my hair cut, though I have a tendency to ignore them; due to the fact that it is my hair and I will have it as I see fit. My eyes were unusual, in the fact that they were an orchid shade of purple; a very rare color. They had originally had been a striking silver color, yet due to an illness I had when I was younger my eye color changed; it was a side effect of the cure. Anyway, I stretched to help myself wake up, a quiet creek echoed through the room as I did.

I glanced over to my left arm where the creek came from. The familiar sight of the automail left arm that I for about four years now; well I should say that an automail arm is familiar. This one I got a mouth and a half ago from my mechanic. The point is I wake up to it every day was now and has come to be a somewhat comforting thing. The automail I have and the ones before this one were custom made pieces that are truly one of a kind!

It was built by a… 'friend'… yeah that's what you can call her, I guess. My mechanic is what you might call an extreme machine nut that's a little on the violent side. Well, I would consider her violent since at my check up last month she chucked a wrench at my back! I was sore from that for a solid week! Now don't get me wrong; she is an amazing mechanic! Still one of the best I have ever been around. That's the reason that I tolerate her using tools on me, whether it is to hit me or to tune the automail. I have to admit I am proud of my mechanic for what she built for me! As I said my left arm is a custom job and along with my right leg; both well worth the things she has put me through.

Most automail I have seen is either too bulky or brittle and thin. Whichever way you go either is impractical and you're screwed over when it comes to finer movement. I grant that's better than no limb at all, still you would think there had to be a more efficient way to go about replacing a limb that is close to what the original can do. My arm is what I can say a good step in the right direction. Let me give you a couple of the points as to why starting from the shoulder going down. The port that is set as a part of my left shoulder and partial side is encased such that I can submerge the arm with no worries of the mechanized parts or fluid being affected in the slightest. That is almost unheard of in automail… as far as I know. Water may not affect the inner workings for a time, but the less that gets in the longer and better the automail works for.

Where my shoulder used to be, is of course the shoulder rotator bearing. The innovative part of that is the arm connector my mechanic came up with. She scoffed at the normal way of small connection… um… plug I suppose it is, would receive and translate the signals from the brain. Yet she tends to do that when it comes to conventional methods and ways of doing things; at times that's what can get incredible results. However, the other time it doesn't get incredible results… it ends badly and painfully! Back to the connector plug, so since she looked down on the 'normal' connector; she put together a two and a half inch rod, with expanding conduction receivers… I think that's what she calls them, to do the job. Anyway… her idea proved to conduct the signals my brain is still sending wonderfully. It feels near identical to how my original arm would react. Unfortunately, the drawback to me, which my mechanic ignores by saying to quit being a baby… is that means when the automail is disconnected and then later reconnected hurts so much more!

My upper and fore arm of the automail have smoother movement than other automail limbs I have observed. My mechanic says it is her genius idea to do the cabling differently so the 'cables' don't interfere with any of the movement at all. She also says it is more efficient that way. I'm glad she didn't forget the protective covers on my automail joints with all of these 'improvements' she does. I need some of the basics still with the things she changes. The shoulder shield plates stretch down to my upper mid arm which is a mercy to me. For whatever reason that I can't figure out, lots of things I get into end out doing damaging my rotator bearing so the shield plate there gets banged up so that doesn't happen.

I like what she did with the wrist, it isn't just cylindrical hinge. She somehow made a kind of rotator type bearing there so I can move my wrist like I did with my real arm! My hand and fingers are nothing out of the ordinary to me even if my mechanic says otherwise. She argues that she has made the speed better… Fast reaction time my a**! They work and that's good for me!

Next I my right leg was similar to my left arm as it was also a custom made limb. Yet wasn't a whole leg since it connected at my mid-thigh and not my hip. The connection plug was built with the same concept in mind as the one on my left arm. It is meant to read signals more sensitively… The knee had a wide cross shaped cap over it. Why my mechanic chose that shaped when she knows I don't do the religion thing is beyond me. I don't think she is either, if she is she doesn't live it that's for sure.

The lower section that was below the knee was like my arm built to very specific calculations. Four metal plates were used in covering the section. The first was a guard on the front where the shin would be and it had a rounded oval shape to it; ending an inch above the ankle rotator bearing joint. The second and third were set on the sides at the mid-shin going down and partially to the back side of the leg. They met and fitted closely together at the center on the back of the automail leg. The final piece sat above the second and third, going up to just below the back of the knee joint.

My ankle and foot were two independent parts which isn't normal for automail. The ankle was made of two different joints that worked in sync with each other. Both of the joints were rotation types, yet where one did the circular motions moving the foot in and circular arc while the foot is flat. The other joint is the one that allows movement up and down of the foot and side to side. My foot though it had metal casing was operated with some kind of steel wired cables that acted very similar to real ligaments and muscles.

Well I had needed automail due to a previous incident I was in that had happened years ago, so I was used to them with the years that had passed.

"Saber you had better be up and getting ready. If you are not brother I will come up there and get you up, we need to catch the train to central for your exam tomorrow."

That was my sister Maria calling for me. It was just Maria and me these days, ever since dad died from an unexplained illness. She was the responsible one of us, especially after dad passed. It is surprising, since she is two years younger than me, yet she is as mature as me if not slightly more so.

However, what she said sunk in to my mind; first the fact of her reminding me of my state alchemist qualification exam tomorrow. Second I really, really didn't want her to come up and make sure I am up, her chop to my head with her hand would give me a splitting head ache, something I want to avoid.

I jumped out of bed and quickly got dress. I quickly put my hair in a ponytail, tied it to keep it that way. I then raced down the stairs into the kitchen to grab breakfast. I passed my sister as I raced to the kitchen.

Now my sister is for a lack of better terms 'different'. You see Maria is in a suit of armor all the time. No, she isn't wearing the armor she is in. The suit of armor is her body! I know that is pretty unusual, but that's how things came out in the end. She became like that from the same incident that had resulted in me getting an automail arm and leg.

The armor was a full plated armor suit that was silver in color. The torso section of the armor was fairly obvious that it was meant to be used by a woman. I say that since the breast plate has space on either side of the upper chest for a well-endowed ... *clears throat* woman's chest in the breastplate. There was a strong leather belt that surrounded the waist and sat on the hips. From the said belt hung a length of cloth a foot wide and fell to her knee level. The torso and waist were an hourglass figure, again confirming the point that the armor was for a women. There were oval steel plates connected on the hips and went down to mid- thigh with the length. Between the plates of armor in the torso section of armor was black leather material that held that area of the suit together.

The arm pieces of the suit were interlocking plates in the shoulders and upper arms. In the joints at the elbows and armpits was made up of a red scale mail. The gauntlets were silver as well and had tight interlocking joints in the fingers, wrist and hands. The palms and small spaces between the joints in the fingers was thick grey leather material. Thankfully the fingers didn't have claws on the end, for my sake. The Cuisse or upper leg armor pieces were nothing very fancy still they had a look of beauty. The greaves and the poleyn connected to it, which are the lower legs and knees armor plates; were simple yet elegant. The gaps around the knees were covered by red scale mail like was found in the arms. Then the boots or Sabatons, the boots had a slight heel to them making them look kind of like high heels to a degree. The Boots also had a small plate in front of where the ankle would be.

To top all this off; the helm on this suit was different from what you would normally expect. The top half was shaped like a fox head with holes where the eyes would normally be for a fox. It was silver color, though a lighter shade then the rest of the suit of armor. The bottom half was a dark metallic grey color almost black visor that would cover the mouth. Also there was some kind of round cylindrical protrusion on the lower back side of the helm. I have no idea what purpose it serves. Finally the neck had a long red scarf that went over the shoulders and down the back. Now I have always wondered where our father exactly got this suit of armor?! Nonetheless he never said where it came from, just said he got a very excellent deal on it. Our Dad had a habit of collecting odd things when he was still alive as this suit of armor is a prime example of.

Anyway I was scarfing down breakfast as fast as I could safely do without choking. Maria walked into the room and stared at me. I stopped stuffing my face for a moment and looked at her. Her eyes glowed magenta through the eye holes in the helm of the armor. It had taken a few weeks to get use to that at first when she had be in the armor, though now it is totally normal to me. I looked down at the plate of food in front of me and then frowned.

"I am sorry Maria, here I am stuffing my face and all you can do is watch since you're not able to eat as you are."

Maria jerked in surprise and then shook her head. Although she can't do facial expressions anymore as the metal armor can't move, she is still easy for me to read what she is thinking.

"No, it is not that... well maybe a little. But it is 8:30, doesn't the train leaves at nine for Central?"

My mouth was stuffed with food; still I nodded my face managing a look of horror at how late I was running.

"So Matthew, you need to finish eating and get your stuff. That is if you weren't going through dad's books all night."

I swallowed the mouth full I was on hard, before I answered.

"No I wasn't up ALL night studying, just until 1:00 a.m. maybe 2:00… The point is I pack for today, I'm not that irresponsible! Don't worry we will be fine, we will make the train, I promise."

I returned to shoveling the food from my plate, which I was holding right next to my mouth; to my open mouth. Once I finished my breakfast I put my dishes in the sink, ran upstairs grabbed my things and was at the front door within thirteen minutes. Maria and I left and lock the house and headed to the train station.

When we got to the station and bought tickets for Central. Maria did get some strange looks as she does on occasion, her being a suit of armor and all. Most people just think she is just wearing the armor all the time. Maria and I have agreed to let most other people thing that is the truth. The difference isn't a commonly known fact and we would like to keep it that way. We get too many questions of how she ended up that way otherwise and… I would rather not recount that event! We boarded the train without further trouble and found seats and when we had sat down I let out a sigh.

"What did I tell you, we got here and still have five minutes to spare."

I awoke as the train jerked while it moved along. I had been having the dream about the day before my state alchemist certification test. It was the day that things had started to change. A lot had changed since then. I was older of course, but not all of growing up is easy, especially with me being a state alchemist during some of those growing years.

I sat up and straightened my dark navy blue shirt that had been rumpled during the time I was sleeping. I also adjusted the gloves I wore on my hands, mostly to cover my automail left hand. It was easier to do that than to have to explain or come up with a reason of why I have an automail arm. It just became awkward with people when they asked why Maria and I are in the condition we are. I then looked over at Maria who was staring at me with her magenta eyes.

"Brother, are you okay?"

I finished straightening up and nodded.

"Yeah, just dreaming about the day we started down this path and began this journey of ours."

"The day before your state alchemist exam, that was four years ago."

I chuckled a bit at that. Maria didn't need to remind me of the time that had passed. I was now nineteen and was five foot eleven. My hair was now down to stopping an inch below my waist. I just don't find the time to get my hair cut… okay I didn't make the time to get it cut would be more accurate. I have now fully physically matured and with that said my face had girls who saw it calling me 'pretty boy' and handsome. I have even had a few girls faint after staring at me when I wink and smile. I have inherited my father's very handsome and good looks, sometimes that works to my detriment.

"Has it really been four years since then? It doesn't seem like it."

The four years had gone by fast from my perspective and those four years had brought some harsh realizations with them for Maria and myself. I may be a state alchemist, yet that means I'm also a part of the military when I was called to be. I have little against being an 'attack dog' of the military; our father had been a state alchemist as well before he retired. I quickly discovered why he 'retired' and left the military; doing the dirty work that soldiers do from time to time, is horrible. I have numbed the sick feeling that comes with killing someone, still that doesn't stop the nightmares that follow.

"I wonder how everyone is doing back in Leirith."

I glanced over at her, brought out of my dreary thoughts.

"Back home huh, it really has been a while since we have been back in the hometown, over a year at least."

Maria snickered, one of my eyebrows rose.

"What is so funny?"

"I was just thinking about how Candice will react when she sees you next."

I flinched at that comment. Candice was a girl we had known since childhood, she had and still is our neighbor… to our house at least. She was about a year younger than me and a year older than Maria. She was a nice girl to be around... most of the time and lately, if you weren't me. We didn't hate each other or anything; in fact we use to get along really well. That is until she became an automail mechanic like her dad! Then I swear the girl I knew was replaced with some sort of devil!

The thing is Candice's father is, or rather was an automail mechanic and he ran a shop in Leirith. I'm grateful that the old man did; as he was the one who did the surgery for both of my automail limbs. However, he is slowing down now and so Candice had been learning to take over the shop and business early on. So she became my automail mechanic and she was a genius engineer added to that which was a plus. My automail arm and leg haven't failed me yet, though I seem to get a new model every other time I go back for a tune up. Something about new improvements that she has made; they would revolutionize automail engineering standards as we know it! Candice always has gotten excited and passionate about her engineering designs.

She unfortunately hadn't only inherited the automail engineering genius, but also some of her old man's habits! Those habits namely being; a really short temper and unerring aim when chucking or swinging a wrench! I had painful memories of her hitting me with a wrench. I learned very quickly not to underestimate Candice when she had a wrench in her hands no matter the size or weight! In fact it was better to run for the hills, but she would still find some way to hit me. You would never think a girl could be strong enough to knock you out when they are eleven, but Candice sure did and she was only getting stronger.

"I would rather not think about what she will do to me right now."

There was a silence for a couple minutes, but then Maria spoke up again.

"Matthew do you think this lead will pan out? I mean what do we really know on this lead?"

Maria did make a valid point in this trip we were making. We had heard a rumor about an alchemist that our dad had work with and was friends with. I was hoping to get his help and assistance in aiding my research. I interlocked my hand behind my head and thought for a second.

"Well we are looking for a man by the name of Kurt Isen, who knows about a specific area of mineral alchemy. The man is an old friend of dad's. By what I found reading dad's notes he worked with the man we are looking for. The rumor is that a guy with the same description as Isen was seen in the west near the town of Vinary."

Maria sighed at the information.

"That is not much to go on."

I frowned in response. There was no need to tell me, I knew she was right.

"I won't deny that you're right about that. Still we have nothing else at the moment to go with in helpful ways to advance my research. When my research is fully complete we can get our bodies back to how they're supposed to be. The faster it gets done the sooner we get your body back to normal. So we go with this lead."

Silence once again settled between us. I don't like silence unless I am studying new material, reading a book or am engrossed in an observation. I was getting annoyed by the silence and decided to break it.

"Well Maria since we have got the time why not review the fundamentals of alchemy. Why not start with the laws?"

"Okay sure, the law of equivalent exchange states that 'in order to obtain or create something, something of equal value must be lost or destroyed'."

I nodded in response.

"Good and the two laws that make up the law of equivalent exchange?"

"The first is the Law of Conservation of Mass that states, 'energy and matter can neither be created from nothing nor destroyed to the point of elemental nonexistence'. Simply put your input must equal your output."

I nodded again to signal she was right and to continue.

"The second is the Law of Natural Providence which states, 'an object or material made of a particular substance or element can only be transmuted into another object with the same basic makeup and properties of that initial material. In other words as an example, if what you were transmuting was made of mostly water it could only be transmuted into something that is also made of mostly water."

"Yes very good, nice to know you still remember dad's lessons."

"Like I could forget with the way dad would drill the information into us."

"Right then next, what are the three stages of transmutation?"

"They are comprehension, deconstruction, and reconstruction. In simpler terms, understanding what you are transmuting, then next breaking the material down, followed by rebuilding the material into a different shape."

I nodded again and looked out the window.

===around an hour later===

The train stopped at the station. We finally had arrived in the western city of Vinary. We stood up from the seats. I stretched to get the cramps that had been building because of sitting for most of the night.

Maria and I had been doing some work up in northern Amestris. It was also there we had heard the rumor that this lead was based upon. So we had boarded the next train we could get, which happened to be one that left at 9:00 pm. It had run along the tracks throughout the night, so it had been a long ride and I had dozed for some of it.

I glanced down to check my appearance. I saw my black pants looked okay, or at least it didn't have too many wrinkles. My shirt was fine and my gloves were covering my hands. Appearances are important; I really should look my best when coming to a new place for first impressions. I tapped the toes of my brown boots that ended right above my ankles, to make sure my feet were settled in my boots so that walking long distances would not hurt later. I got up and grabbed my light grey ankle length over coat and put it on. My grey over coat had over the last four years become a symbol that got people to know me as 'The Mythril Alchemist'! My grey over coat had the Flamel cross and the Silver crescent symbols one beside the other on the back.

I grabbed my rolling case that held my things I traveled with, which was a fair bit. We filed through the train car and got off the train. On the platform of the station we looked around though I really didn't expect anyone to be there to meet us.

The light of the morning sun caused a flash of silver as it hit my pocket watch that hung on a personal custom made chain that I had made myself, that attached to my belt. The said pocket watch proved I was a State Alchemist, but my over coat covered it. It wasn't that I was ashamed about being a State Alchemist or anything. Dad was one before he retired and a good one too, so I intended to be the best State Alchemist I could be. It's just, thing go smoother with people when they don't know I'm a state alchemist. People get nervous around me when they know I can use alchemy.

"Well shall we go find this Isen?"

"Do you know where he is?"

I shook my head.

"Not a clue! I figure we can ask around town. I would assume someone has to have seen him at some point."

I used my right hand to shield my eyes from the bright sunlight of the morning. As I said my face was many might call handsome. Yes I have had girls swoon over me and men jealous of my looks. I however, really didn't think about my looks much as they did. My looks didn't make much difference to me on how I did a job. Maria nodded and we started into town. The town of Vinary isn't a huge city like Central but it wasn't small like our hometown of Leirith. There was a lot more shops than I had expected and of all different kinds as well. The town appeared to be very prosperous as I looked around.

We didn't get all that far into the town when I stopped and I heard Maria stop next to me. The reason I had stopped could be answered by the sight before us. There was a group of five Amestrisan soldiers and they were trying to pick up a young woman. The key word being 'trying' and in reality they were harassing the young woman! I get very ticked off at such a sight. I am in the military like these soldiers; you can even call me a 'dog of the military'. Nonetheless, I have a really big pet peeve about soldiers or people in general abusing their position and power to force others to get what they want. I couldn't stand people like that, people that were the complete opposite of my dad and myself! I looked from left to right only to see people of the city looking the other way at this scene. Okay so by that reaction, this happens rather often most likely. Well that will change today; I wouldn't stand for this! The soldiers were still at it as I started forward.

"Come on beautiful, you know you want to."

The girl was trembling in fear. I spoke up at that point unable to stay silent.

"Hey you stupid lowly mutts!"

The street went dead silent. No one watching made a sound; they just stared at me and then the soldiers. The soldiers stopped at my voice for a second.

"Yes I am talking to the five of you dumb mutts of the military!"

The soldiers turned to see me as I kept coming.

"Even dumb wild mutts like yourselves can see she doesn't want to be around you!"

The soldiers just stared at me as I stopped around ten feet from them. You would hear more noise in a graveyard then in this street at this time.

"But who can blame her, you idiotic mutts are being really pushy like you are in heat or something! What a lack of manners, have you no shame?!"

The soldiers were getting rather angry at what I was saying. I didn't care that they were getting mad, I was saying the truth.

"Looks like you dumb mutts need to be retrained and I am more than happy to do that retraining personally!"

"Move along kid this doesn't concern you."

I didn't move but just glared back at them.

"Well one of the misbehaving mutts is barking with disobedience! You lot can't even be properly called dogs at this point! What idiotic mutts to cause such a scene. Really have Amestrisan soldiers fallen this low, bullying the people they are supposed to protect? And you wonder why I call you mutts!"

One of the Soldiers rushed forward a fist raised to strike me. I easily stepped out of the way and evaded the punch. Maria and I had been sparring with one another since we were kids. Our father had taught us that you need to be strong in body as well in mind. So we were no amateurs, when it came to fighting. Maria was better at fighting than I was. I have still through the years, had never beaten her, not that I was embarrassed about that.

The soldiers seemed to only get angrier when I dodged their fellow soldier, so they all came at me. The first one to reach me tried to grab me, but I slipped out of his reach. I quickly countered by sliding around to his right side and hit him in his gut with my right knee. This forced the soldier to his knees wheezing for breath. Two of the soldiers rushed me at the same time one from behind and one from the front. I struck the one in the front in the face with my right fist, dropping him to the ground. The soldier behind me grabbed me by my over coat, which I immediately slipped out of and followed up with a roundhouse kick that sent the soldier flying.

At some point during the fight my pocket watch caught the light again and flashed. Then from my right I heard a voice of one of the town's people, an elderly man.

"The young man… is a State Alchemist; he has the pocket watch that State Alchemist carries."

The soldiers didn't miss that comment, as they stared at me.

"Just who are you?!"

Well so much for trying to keeping the fact of me being a state alchemist quiet. Oh well since that is the case I see no reason to be fair by not using alchemy.

"Well since you asked, my name is Matthew Selvess. Or perhaps you have heard the name that the state gave me; the title of 'the Mythril Alchemist'!"

The two remaining soldiers looked afraid at what I had said and by this time both of them had pulled out their guns. I clapped my hands together and a ringing resounded in the air, and then I put my hands to the ground. Blue lightning appeared in front of me, then the ground three feet in front of me rose up in two separate columns of earth and formed into hands. The earth hands moved forward each of them grabbing one of the soldiers and held them tight. I strode forward to the soldiers who were struggling. My eyes were cold and were scaring the soldiers.

"Now I think it is high time you unruly mutts run along. I will retrain you later of how manners should work. Now Heel!"

I snapped my fingers and blue lightning appeared again and the earth hands opened and the soldiers fell to the ground. The soldiers looked back up at me before they got up and ran away. I shook my head at their actions. These Soldiers were cowards, even left their comrades behind. I clapped my hands again and put them to the ground and changed the ground back to the way it was before. I sighed, but then noticed the awkward silence around me. I look around at the town's people who were staring at me. I chuckled nervously.

"Umm sorry about the ruckus all."

The silence continued; I was starting to worry about how this would end. Then suddenly all the people started to cheer. I just felt shock; I hadn't expected this reaction. I have had many people wish to thank me for the things I do to help people on the travels Maria and I have been on. Yet the people here have been oppressed by the military I am a part of. Still, the people came forward surrounding me, patting my shoulder and slapping my back. They were treating me as a hero, and I really don't know why they would at this point.

"Well done young man."

"Thank you sir for your help."

"You showed those soldiers."

"So you are the Mythril Alchemist."

"You helped us more than you can know."

I laughed quietly. I knew I had been becoming famous over the last four years; though apparently soldiers here had been really causing trouble to the citizens.

"Glad to be able to help out here."

The crowd of town's people pressed in around me. The next thing I know, I was lifted off my feet and the said crowds of town's people were carrying me down a side street that went off the main street. I struggled at first, but saw it was impossible to get out of this. So, I let the people carry me to wherever they were taking me. I caught sight of Maria with my rolling case with her as she followed the crowd. I silently thanked her for grabbing my rolling case. I sighed in acceptance and relaxed into the carrying hold of the town's people. This reaction should no longer surprise me as this has happened before.

In the last four years after I was certified as a State Alchemist and given the title of 'The Mythril Alchemist', much had happened. I had traveled a good majority of the time and done a lot of things. During those travels I had acquired the reputation of an alchemist that is for the people, serves the people and protect the people. So my title and description of my appearance had spread far and wide, so I was pretty well known with non-military people. People had a tendency to wish to thank me and so is the reason why I am in this situation. It was difficult being as famous and as popular as I have become!

The crowd brought me into a tavern and then set me down. Many of the people took the seats throughout the tavern. Happy conversation was heard everywhere in the tavern.

"Wow got to say you folks sure have some amazing hospitality."

Many people kept thanking me for me dealing with the soldiers. The tavern owner even treated me to a meal when I said I had not had a meal since last night. I tried paying for the meal but the owner would not take it saying that what I had done for them was more than enough. After a while I decided to ask the people if they had seen Isen. I waved the tavern owner over and he came.

"Say the meal was excellent, by the way have you seen a man by the name of Kurt Isen?"

The tavern owner thought for a moment, but shook his head. I pulled a small notebook out of my back pocket. This notebook was where I wrote down any facts of interest. I had a bigger and thicker notebook in my rolling case that I transferred the facts and research notes I had to. I had four full volumes at home ... at least the last time I counted them I had four, but it had been a while. Dad had always told me that taking note is a great habit to develop, especially for an alchemist. I flipped to a particular page that had a sketch drawing of a man and put it on the counter and showed the picture to the tavern owner.

"He may go by a different name, but I believe he looks like this."

The tavern owner looked at the picture, shook his head slightly but continued to gaze at the sketch.

"He does look kind of like someone I saw once. You know you should ask old man Cooly, this guy looks like someone he would know."

"Where might I find this old man Cooly?"

The tavern owner pointed to an elderly gentleman over sitting at a table by himself. I nodded in thanks, got up and picked up my notebook, then headed over to the table with the man that was called old man Cooly. When I got to the table I cleared my throat and the older man looked up at me.

"Mind if I sit here my good man?"

He nodded to me with a smile. I took the seat opposite of him.

"So what is it I can do for you youngin?"

I smiled at the question.

"You don't beat around the bush sir; I was wondering if you have seen a man that looks like this?"

I slid my notebook that was still open to the page with the picture I had shown the tavern owner. Old man Cooly looked at the picture for a minute, before setting my notebook down.

"Yes I have seen a man that looks like this sketch. He goes by the name of Simon Bloss. He lives on the northern outskirts. May I ask why you are looking for him?"

"I need to ask him some questions that could help me with my research. Plus he is an old friend of my Father."

He nodded.

"Well fair warning he is not really fond of visitors. Many would say he is paranoid, but war does that, since he served in the Ishbalian war."

I looked at him seriously.

"Do you think he is paranoid?"

Cooly shook his head.

"He lets me in and talks to me. The first time was more than enough to prove to me that he is not paranoid. His mind is sound, he is a researcher. It is more like he suspects someone is coming for him, hunting him."

I nodded and thanked Cooly and signaled Maria. I bowed to the people and told them we need to go. When we had exited the tavern I turned to Maria.

"You learn anything interesting?"

Maria shook her head from side to side in a quick motion… or her helm as her body was armor. Her head wobbled as she did. I stifled a laugh at the motion. No matter how many times she does it, such a sight is funny to me.

"Well I think I might have found where he could be, but first we should stop by Headquarters on our way."

We started off towards the center of the city where Western Headquarters was located.

===scene change===

Maria and I finally arrived in front of Western Military Headquarters. As we approached the front entrance there was a pair of soldiers standing in front of the gate, most likely on guard duty that ordered us to halt and stopped us.

"Sorry, this place does not give tours kid, go home."

I sighed at their response. It was times like this, my age was a disadvantage. I reached into one of the pockets in my coat and grabbed my booklet that had my military credentials and held them out to one of the soldiers. The other soldier rolled his eyes at this no doubt thinking I was just being troublesome. The soldier that had taken my papers opened the booklet and glanced at it before his eyes went wide. I kept a straight face still I gave a little wave as he looked at me and then back at the papers and started to sweat. He instantly snapped to attention and saluted me.

"I… I apologize sir! We didn't mean to delay you Brigadier General Selvess. Please go right on in sir!"

In the military, state alchemist had ranks equal to commanding officers pretty much the second they are certified. I currently held the rank of Brigadier General. No, I didn't start with that rank, I earned it. It was extremely rare and odd for someone of my age to hold that rank really it is unheard of. All I could say on that matter is having a grateful Fuery can do a lot of things. I still didn't understand the reason the Fuery gave me that rank, but I won't complain without a reason to. The rank did come in handy on occasion, not that I used that rank often only when it was necessary. I am what you might consider more laid back. In other words I didn't really see much need for formality for myself or others very much. Because of that, I don't exactly value authority very highly and so don't use it often either.

Maria followed behind me as I went through the front gates of headquarters. We walked through headquarters until we came upon a strange yet comical scene. The two soldiers I had humiliated earlier were talking to most likely a superior officer. I watched the two rapidly trying to explain something to the man in front of them. I cleared my throat loudly to get their attention. The soldiers turned to see me as I smiled and waved at them.

"Well if it isn't two of the disobedient mutts from earlier."

One of the soldiers pointed at me and shouted.

"Major that is the rabble rouser!"

I looked at their superior officer and smiled. The officer started forward. The Major was for lack of better terms a giant bear of a man. He stood at least 6'8" if not more. He could easily intimidate people with the size and build of his body. His body was for the most part pure muscle, not a gram of fat anywhere on his body. He had short thick brown hair and grey eyes. In simple terms this man who was a Major was a human tank! I could feel the floor shake with each of his steps. His name was Major Martin Lisk and he was an old friend I had met slightly after I had been certified as a State Alchemist. He stopped in front of me and looked down.

"Caused trouble huh?"

I grinned at him as I looked up at him.

"Oh I would say so."

"Hey he wasn't talking to you. You are in trouble now; not even saying you're sorry will help you now."

I rolled my eyes. I was attempting not to collapse to the floor and roll around laughing! It was time to settle this once and for all. I faced Major Lisk and crossed my arms.

"Major Lisk tell me, I just got here so I am not very aware of how things work here at western headquarters. So what is the punishment for… let's see; not following orders of a superior officer, attacking a superior officer and let us not forget too, add badmouthing to that list. I am well aware of what would be in store for them in the North, yet it may be different here. So Major what is the punishment for such things here?"

"Minimum of a month's latrine duty and reprimand, usually more, Brigadier General Selvess sir!"

I glanced over to the soldiers who had gone pale by this point and smiled.

"Well you two how lucky, you now know what you have earned for yourselves. Much less severe than what is handed out in the north! Now move along!"

The two soldiers ran off. I shook my head as they left.

"Good Golly that was a pain to deal with."

"Indeed sir."

I looked over at the man, my eyebrows raised and smiled. Martin Lisk may look intimidating, but when he wasn't a soldier, he is like a giant teddy bear.

"I told you before Martin, when it is just us I prefer you call me by my name. We are friends after all, are we not?"

"I am sorry Matthew it is habit. So what brings you out here?"

"Oh a little business that has to do with my research, the usual; but first Major now is it! When did you go up in rank Martin?"

Martin Lisk smiled.

"About three months ago."

"It may be a little late, but Congratulations. Oh by the way Martin there were three other soldiers with those two and they are now in the custody of the town's people, just for your information."

Major Lisk nodded.

"I'll have them picked up. Is there anything else that I can do for you while you are here?"

I shook my head.

"Not at the moment, we need to get going. We are seeing someone today and I would like to do so as soon as possible."

Major Lisk nodded and then turned to Maria.

"It is nice to see you as well Maria."

"You too Martin, you are looking as overly fit as always."

Martin laughed at Maria's comment. Martin was an exercise fanatic. His build is proof of that hobby his does religiously. We waved as we left.

===scene change===

We were on the road that leads out of Vinary to its outskirts. The road that had been a street was now just a dirt path. The stone laid streets ended a little ways back now that we were out of the main city.

"Brother do you think that Mr. Isen can help us with his research?"

I glanced back at Maria and thought.

"I don't know Maria, but I think it is worth a shot to try. Reading his notes may provide some help for our situation. Who knows?"

"What about your talk with that other alchemist, the one you went to see months ago?"

I frowned at that memory.

"You mean Dr. Marcoh the 'Crystal Alchemist'. … Oh I learned what I needed from him! What he told me was absolutely correct as much as it was twisted and evil. It is why we have been looking for Kurt Isen."

"What do you mean twisted and evil?"

I waved my hand in dismissal to her question. I couldn't tell her the truth, hell I wish I didn't know the truth I had learned. It was horrible!

Months ago we had tracked down an alchemist that had disappeared along with his notes at the end of the war with Ishbal, by the name of Dr. Tim Marcoh. It took me a day and a half to get him to talk to me about his work. I am normally very good and adept at getting people to open up about things, but Marcoh had been harder than those previous. I could usually break people's resistance in hours. When I had gotten him to talk about his work I learned many things.

===flashback months previous===

"I can't tell you about my research, it is the 'Devil's Work'!"

I just sat there not budging an inch as I stared at him. This went on for twenty minutes before Dr. Marcoh sighed in defeat and nodded.

"Your eyes and stubborn determination are exactly like your father's. Very well I will tell you. Maybe you will be able to understand like your father did."

I nodded enthusiastically as I took out my notebook and a pen, ready to take notes. It was a heavily engrained habit for me that my father had encouraged. That's why I always carry my notebook and pen everywhere I go.

"First, what do you know about the Philosopher's Stone?"

I was surprised at the question. Why would Dr. Marcoh bring up an old fairy tale?

"Um… it's an old legend. If I remember correctly, the legend is about a stone that can amplify alchemy without limit. Originally it was the method supposedly gave a person that used it to turn lead into gold. It also was a key to creating the so called 'grand elixir of life'. The liquid that would give a person immortality. At least that is how the legend goes, but it is just an old legend I read in one of my dad's books."

Dr. Marcoh then, closed his eyes and took out a bottle with a blood red substance in it. I just gazed at it with curiosity. I couldn't comprehend the connection to the question Dr. Marcoh had just asked me and the substance in the bottle. Dr. Marcoh poured the contents of the vile out on the table. As he did I noted with fascination that the substance wasn't a liquid as I had first thought, but thicker than a liquid, still not solid substance. When it was on the table it formed into a stone shape. It was seconds after observing this that the facts clicked into place and I figured the connection. I looked back to Dr. Marcoh with shock as I began to understand what this substance actually was.

"You're telling me that this red substance is the Philosopher's Stone!?"

"Yes and no, it is called a Sage Stone, because it is an incomplete Philosopher's stone. This substance doesn't necessarily take the form of a stone. It also has limitations; it can only do so much before it breaks."

I felt excitement for the first time in years. Finally a possible way to get Maria and myself back to how we were before, and it was no more than feet away. I glanced up at Dr. Marcoh's face and my excitement was short lived when I saw his expression. I looked at Dr. Marcoh's face trying to read his expression. He was mortified by this stone, but I couldn't figure out why. If the legends were true this liquid was fantastic!

It was then my scientific mind caught up with me and asked the question. With that kind of power and ability, what is the exchange that is made for it? Such power wouldn't be gained from nothing; nature doesn't work like that! This substance itself can defy the laws of nature and that wouldn't be possible through normal means that I could come up with. I had a horrible thought come to my mind as I kept turning things over in my brain. One so sickening to me I almost couldn't ask about it, but I had to. I had to confirm or disclaim my guess! My voice gained a cold emotionless tone to it as I spoke.

"… Answer me one more question Dr. Marcoh… I have never had a reason to doubt my dad's teachings. One thing he taught is there is always a price for everything period, no exception! So, my question is; what is the price for this stone or liquid on your table? Or better yet what is the catch or price to make a Philosopher's Stone? Because I seriously doubt it can be done for no price or charge! Things don't work like that! You can't bypass laws of nature very long or in the end! The laws of life and nature are absolute and can't be denied for very long!"

Dr. Marcoh grimaced at my question.

"You are truly your father's son. You have seen what the stone really is, what it's made up from. Why it is known as the 'Devil's Work'! You are right the Philosopher's Stone does come at a price and a very steep one at that. It is due to the main ingredient that this is so. The ingredient is one that's powerful. It's readily available and unlikely to run out any time soon. Something we often take for granted. … I believe you can answer what idea or material some might call it, can be described with the qualities I have just stated."

I felt my blood go cold as I realized what that ingredient was, of course! The Philosopher's Stone was made by and from cruelty. It required taking human life and not just one life, but many, many lives of people to serve as the fuel to create a stone and sustain it. I had been absolutely correct on the price, just off on the magnitude. I held my head in horror as I realized the truth.

It was at these thoughts, when I recalled what he had said to me. The one who I had grown to hate so much over the years since I had met him! He had said a phrase to me so long ago that never seemed to leave! A line that would forever haunt me!

_'That is the conundrum about truth. Once you know it you can never be ignorant of it again. That is why truth is such a wonderful yet so horrible thing. Isn't that right young Alchemist!?'_

Truth had said that to me as he smiled at me! When I had just come out of the gate after having gone through it I had seen him smile, and only smile at me. My experience inside the gate was an unforgettable thing. … The things I had seen… it had been so much! Even when I had wanted the information to stop pouring into my head I had been forced to keep going. I had closed my eyes yet something had held them open making continue. I had learned things… that were so amazing and others that were so horrible! Then for all of that 'ride' as Truth had called it, he had taken my right leg as the 'price' of my newly acquired knowledge.

Dang it, once again he was completely right and I hated it that he was! I wanted to scream until I couldn't scream any more, but I knew that would do nothing. I got up from the chair I had been sitting in, now weighted with the truth of the Philosopher's Stone. I could not use an object like the Philosopher's Stone knowing the cost to make it. I couldn't live with myself if I were to try. I would rather stay the way I was then stoop to that level. I knew Maria would feel the same if she ever found out.

"Thank you for your honesty Dr. Marcoh. Well back to square one it is then."

I sighed and left Dr. Marcoh in his chair. I walked outside and turned at the corner of the house before I grabbed the corner of the house and threw up. I then howled in despair at the knowledge I had now. I knew a truth I didn't want to know and now I couldn't pretend I didn't know.

===end of flashback===

"Brother are you okay? You look really pale."

I snapped back to the present and looked up at Maria.

"It is nothing to worry about Maria. I am just..."

I stopped dead, when the scent hit me.

"Matthew what is it? What's wrong?!"

I held up a hand to get her to stop. I took a deep breath, taking in the scent again. There was no mistaking it now I could smell blood and it was fresh no question. It was in the direction that we were heading! I broke out into a sprint. I heard Maria right behind me with her metal footfalls. I spotted the last house on the outskirts and determined that it was the source of the scent of blood. It was then I got a sickening feeling and came sliding to a halt. Maria slid to a stop right next to me. Both of us settled into a fighting stance, prepared for anything.

It was then two figures came out of the house talking with one another. The two 'people' were different.

"But why Lust, why can't I eat him?!"

"Because Gluttony he would give you indigestion."

One of the figures, the taller of the two; I identified as a woman with long black hair and red eyes. She was around the same height as me. She was wearing a dress that... well honestly left little to the imagination. It was hard to know where to look with her! She also had an odd tattoo on her chest that look kind of like a snake or serpent eating its own tail. She seemed to be the one that was calling the shots between the two.

The other figure was male... at least I think it was male. It looked like some kind of short or stout legged… Okay a short and an extremely fat guy that was bald and his eyes were white with no black. His arms were as long as his body and they were thick. It was freaky! The both of them were freaky in my opinion! I have seen really weird things. So I would have a very extreme definition of freaky!

The woman noticed us first. She turned to face us, mild surprise on her face. That is before she smiled. I didn't like how she smiled! It sent chills down my spine and that was just to start at the many things I get from her!

"Well, well Gluttony. It would appear you will be getting a snack today after all."

I get the hunch that a fight is about to start. I grabbed one of the silver colored metal rods I had on my belt with my right hand, preparing for the fight that was coming. Maria settles into a martial arts fighting stance, readying herself as well.

"Yea I get to EAT!"

The fat man rushed forward his mouth opened impossibly wide! Be that as it may, Maria and I were ready and moved out of the way. I had to say for a fat guy, he could sure move fast. That was unexpected!

"Whoa Fat Boy coming through! Make way!"

I rolled into a ball to evade the Fat Boy… Gluttony I think the other had called him. I recovered from the attempt. I came out and was back on my feet. I looked over to Maria and saw to my relief she was okay. I glanced back to where the fat guy had gone. I noticed the fat guy had already turned around and was about to charge us again in the same way as he had before. He shot forward again and once again we dodged.

"Obesity Stampede on the move!"

This time as the fat guy missed he went crashing into a large boulder, stopping for the moment due to the impact. Maria and I were back in fighting stances facing the strange woman. She had yet to move or do any action. This worried me more than the attacks of Fat Boy!

"I guess that's an unorthodox way to go about weight loss! I would guess that's why it isn't very successful though?! So who are you lady?"

She simply smiled at me more. Her smile was seriously starting to put me on edge as well as creepy my out further. It was getting way too creepy1

"I must say you are an intriguing one."

Is she… hitting on me?! That's just sick and wrong! It makes me feel nasty!

"Yeah not interested in your implications. First you aren't my type and second your taste in guy stinks if you hang around the Fat Boy!"

There was a boom followed by a cloud of dust. When the dust cleared I saw the fat one and what's more he looked perfectly fine. What the! ... Something was wrong here! Slamming hard head first into a rock normally causes injuries of some kind or at least does something. Yet the rock has more damage than him!

The fat one looked rather angry now as he looked at me. He screeched and shot in my direction, but I was ready for him. I had my silver rod in my right hand held by my thumb. I clapped my hands together, a ringing resounded through the air. Blue lightning appeared around the rod. I started to pull my hands apart from one another, so that I could control my alchemy I was using to reshape the rod. The fat guy was still coming at me as I used my alchemy. I stayed calm and cool as he got closer. When he was about six feet from me I had finished transmuting the rod of metal into a katana like sword. I swung the blade around over my head, at the same time I moved to the right to avoid the fat guy. As he passed me I brought my blade down hard and sliced through his arm cleanly just below his shoulder. The fat guy screamed as he noticed his arm had been cut off. I had avoided Fat Boy, though he had tried to take a bite at me and that was something I wasn't going to just dismiss without repercussion!

"Hey, You Tub of Lard! I am not on the MENU! Try to take a bite again and I will start slicing and dicing you into so many pieces you will not be able to find them all, let alone count them!"

"STOP CALLING ME NAMES! I AM GLUTTONY!"

"No… you are an overly fat idiot that has eating issues! You seriously needs to work on losing weight!"

The lady started to clap, which somehow forced Fat Boy to stop.

"That was impressive, so you are an alchemist? You get more interesting all the time. My name is Lust; it is a pleasure to meet you."

Oh… what a fitting name for her. With the body she has! I can practically feel lust oozing out of her. My problem is that said lust appears to be directed at me! I don't like that at all. I'm not interested in her advances! The lady then turned to the Fat Boy.

"Gluttony we're leaving you can eat later."

The Fat Boy moaned with a finger on his remaining arm in his mouth and then followed the lady. However, before he got to her I saw the stump at his shoulder begin to glow and become surrounded by red lightning. The arm I cut off then, regenerate to perfect condition like I had done nothing to him! Oh that's just peachy! That complicates things to an extent. I think I will need to reassess the strategy for these people, if Maria and I are to be able to survive the next encounter that is!

The woman turned to me once more, smiled and blew me a kiss in my direction. I felt a freezing shiver run through me at her action. She was seriously irking me! Lucky me!

"I look forward to when we meet again. Maybe I will get your name next time handsome."

There was a flash and after it stopped I saw they were gone.

Well I certainly didn't look forward to the next time, whenever that will be. This is perfect… I officially now have a stalker. How great, I say again lucky me! My life can really suck sometimes. Why did I have to inherit dad's good looks?! It is in things like this such inheritance is a disadvantage. I turned to where Maria was.

"Maria, you alright?"

"Yes, but who or what were they?"

I shook my head in confusion. I was wondering the same thing.

"I have no idea. … By the way did you notice they both had the same weird tattoo on them?"

Maria nodded.

"Yes the woman in her chest and the fat one on his tongue. Have you seen anything like it?"

"I don't know. I want to say no. Yet there is something about it that is familiar, I can't place why though."

Maria hummed in response. I just sighed and then smiled.

"The only other thing I can say is; I'm once again thankful I carry Mythril rods with me."

"They are your work, so I would expect it to be good. You were never one to settle for anything less than the best quality work."

I nodded and then strode forward to the house and went inside. The scent of blood slammed into my sense of smell in stronger force than before! I covered my face to try to block it to a degree though such action didn't really help. I looked around the house with growing horror and an urge to throw up. I was in what appeared to have been some kind of sitting room. If I were to say it looked like a bomb had gone off in here, it would be an understatement. There was wreckage and rubble everywhere. There was glass shards spread everywhere, I glanced to the windows and saw they had been shattered. Blood was splattered all over. It was clear that there had been a fight in here. I took a step further inside, glass crunching under my feet.

"Kurt Isen, are you here?!"

There was no reply to my call. I took a moment to study the front room. By first glance; the damage and the amount of blood in this room there was a high possibility that the fight had started in here. I heard Maria step through the door and gasp.

"Maria just be thankful at the moment that you can't smell! It is horrendous! Let's search the place and see what we can find out."

Maria nodded and walked through the doorway at the right side of the room. I stayed in the sitting room still taking in the scene. I decided to study a sample of blood just to say that I had done the best I can, for an investigational stand point. I knelt down and ran a finger through the blood, brought it up and sniffed. I was surprised when I had, for the blood wasn't human. I then went into what Maria calls my observational research mode. Maria calls it that because she says I become so focused on taking in the facts around me that I block out everything else. It is probably true knowing myself.

I sniffed again, now able to confirm that the blood was animal blood and not human. I looked around the room again only with a keener eye this time. The way the furniture and other rubble were spread, to an untrained eye would look like there had been a fight in here. However, the spread wasn't random; it was methodical and thought out. In other words the room was staged to look like a fight had happened when in reality it had most likely not.

I got to thinking about what I was seeing. It was clear someone was going to an extensive amount of trouble to convince someone else that they were dead. That presents two questions: Who are they trying to fool? And then why are they doing so?

I walked to the far side of the room glass crunching under my boot as I went. I passed through the doorway into a hallway with rooms on either side. There was a doorway of the left and two on the right before the hallway turned to the left. I glanced into the room on the left which was a bedroom for I would assume guests as it was kind of small. I found much the same scene I had seen in the sitting room. In fact the scene in the bedroom looked too much the same to be natural. This mess and spread was getting too methodical. It was almost as if... Kurt Isen or whoever had been here, knew they were going to have unwelcome visitors. Could they have known it would be that pair coming?

I looked into the other two rooms and saw the same mess of rubble. I turned left at the end of the corridor and continued down. At the end of the hallway I came into the master bedroom, and instantly saw, this room was different than the others. This room was where the odd pair had found what they had been searching for. There were spikes of earth still protruding out of the ground from someone using alchemy. I knelt down again and got a sample of the blood on the floor and sniffed. I froze, this was human blood, no doubt about it and it was still fairly fresh. I looked around the room very carefully. The bedroom furniture was thrown everywhere in no order like the previous room. The fight that had happened, had taken place in this room alright.

I searched the room and within a minute found the oldest and likely the first spatter of blood. I studied the blood trail and started following it. I used the blood trail and the damage in the room to replay what had happened in here.

The person had been hit first when they were in the center of the room. Then they and moved to avoid something… most likely the Fat Boy attacking. They then had used alchemy to fight back. The transmutation circle had been set before the fight. So the person had decided to make their stand in this room if it became needed. They definitely had some time to prepare however, I would guess from the way things were, the person had been found before they had finished their preparations. I found a second circle and another one that wasn't finished.

This only served to prove my original suspicion. Back to the fight, one of the spikes had hit its intended target, for it had broken off after it had hit. Then things went bad as there was a sizable pool of blood not too far from the circle. The person had gotten stabbed by something and most likely in a vital place. What the defender was stabbed with was a mystery. There was no weapon of evidence that could help me figure out what had been used. The defender had sunk to the floor for a time. In that time the odd pair had left the room and expected the defender to be dead. Nevertheless, the defender though seriously injured to be sure wasn't dead.

I kept following the trail of blood as I played the scenario out in my mind. The defender in their condition had crawled and dragged themselves across the room into the room that was off this one. The room was a study and it had been ransacked, yet whatever was the object of interest in the search hadn't been found. The defender had continued to crawl to one of the bookshelves on the left side from the door.

The blood trail stopped at the bookshelves. Something was wrong in this; I had to be missing something. The blood trail didn't just stop; it looked like it went beyond the bookcase. That would imply that there is something or a room behind it. I clapped my hands and put them to the ground and transmuted the bookcase, only to find a wall. The blood trail was still there, but... of course, an alchemic seal. I felt around the wall searching for the circle that was controlling the seal and keeping it in place. I located it on the inside part of the bookcase to the right. It was small so that it would be missed and most likely previously had a book hiding it as well.

I tapped the circle and snapped my finger. The wall I had exposed behind the bookcase suddenly began to change shape and ended out as an archway and stairs beyond. A basement behind the bookshelves, the oldest trick in the book! I descended the stairs and as I did I heard a soft sound of labored breathing.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs I found myself in a small stone room that I would surmise is a laboratory. I saw a man in sitting with his back in a corner with blood still flowing out of his wounds.

"Kurt Isen?"

The man grunted and turned his head to look at me. He stared at me for a couple of seconds as he squinted trying to get his eyes to focus. His face changed to shock when he saw me.

"Titus... Titus Selvess is that you?!"

He had a coughing fit after he finished the question.

"No, my name is Matthew Selvess."

Kurt Isen let out a sigh.

"I see so your Titus's son. *cough* To think that little boy from those many years ago has become you. *cough* You are the spitting image of Titus when he was your age."

Isen smiled a bit. I could see there was nothing that could be done for Kurt Isen now. He had lost far too much blood and his injuries were just too severe. Still, I needed information from him; I would need to prioritize what I ask.

"Mr. Isen, I need to know where you research notes are. I doubt that those who attacked you got them."

Isen nodded weakly.

"I think they will be safer in your hands. *cough* They are in a compartment beneath the center work counter... *cough* they are alchemically sealed. The cir *cough* circle is in the left cabinet above the door..."

I had already gone to where he had indicated and had found the seal. I undid the seal and the middle of the worktop counter opened up. I looked in to the box and found a notebook; I flipped through it and could see it was Isen's notes, written in his own hand. I turned back to thank him, but froze as I stared at him. His eyes had closed and he had stopped breathing. Kurt Isen, the former 'Earth Stone Alchemist' was dead. I bowed to him to give him my respects and then left the room going up the stairs.

I resealed the wall and restored the bookcase to its original form. But, it felt more like I was sealing a tomb. I went back through the house searching for Maria, only to end up finding her in the kitchen. As I entered the room Maria turned to me and saw my face. I walked over to a chair and sunk into it and sighed. I felt sick, though I had steadied myself to keep from throwing up. I had thought I had overcome this reaction to scenes like this, yet I had apparently not completely.

"You found Isen?"

I nodded somberly.

"Yes I did... he's dead."

Maria slumped slightly.

"Oh... I see, so what now Matthew?"

I rubbed my temples while I thought about my answer. I really had no clue what to do now. I may have Isen's notes, that don't mean I understand them!

"Well... did you per chance find a phone?"

"Yes, right over there."

Maria pointed to a counter that a phone sat on. I sighed at what I was about to do. The report had to be made and this… mess needed to be cleaned up; preferable before the town's people found it in the current state that it is.

"Well as much as I hate doing it, we need to report this incident to Headquarters. They will send people to clean this up. Then we need to actually think about going back to Central soon."

Maria looked at me.

"Why Central?"

I put my elbows on the table that had surprisingly survived and held my head.

"For one the end of my two year alchemist certification is almost up. So, I have my recertification exam in a few days. The other reason is Central is the best place to start to look for more leads."

Maria brought over the phone and I took it, dialed Headquarters and waited.

"... Western Amestris Headquarters, how may I direct this call?"

"This is Brigadier General Selvess, authorization cod 7. I need you to connect me to General Manthesis right away please."

"Of course, one moment sir."

I waited for around a minute before a voice of an older man came on the line.

"This is General Manthesis, to whom am I speaking?"

"This is Brigadier General Selvess, sir."

"Ah, I heard rumors you had come to town. So what can I do for you Selvess?"

"Sir I'm at the house of Mr. Bloss and it appears that he has been murdered sir. It is one hell of a mess!"

There was a short silence on the line after I had said this.

"I assume you are sure about that?"

"Yes sir, I am positive."

"I see, then I will send a squad out there to clean up the mess."

"Thank you General and unfortunately I will be unable to help in the investigations due to the fact I need to return to Central for business."

There was another period of silence.

"So I get to deal with the whole mess, Oh boy."

"I'm sorry to drop this squarely on your shoulders sir."

"That is how things go sometimes Selvess. Thank you for informing me."

The line then went silent and I put down the receiver. I sighed at this situation and the mess it had become. I really hate it when things go south!

"Brother was coming here worth it?"

I looked over at Maria.

"I don't know Maria. I think we find out more when we read through Isen's notes."

Maria stared at me.

"Wait you got his notes?!"

I nodded.

"Well Maria let's get moving. We have a train to catch back to Central. I really need to get away from this smell. It is… bringing up bad memories."

I stood up and headed for the door. Life can be extremely mean at times. We finally get a somewhat promising lead and then it blows up in our faces. Then there were those two odd people we fought. I had made sure to sketch their faces and also sketched down that odd tattoo in my notebook. I guess all I can say at the moment from this is 'One step forward and who knows how many steps back'.

**End chapter 1**

**A/n**

**I hope all readers like the changes I made going through this. I have also done grammatical corrections and general enrichment to the "White Dragon Chronicles" If you have ideas or suggestions for either story feel free to put it in a review. Or if you wish it not to be seen by others, just PM it to me instead. Please review this story and thank you for reading. Peace out until next time.**


	2. 2 The 'Short' Metal Alchemist

**A/n**

**Greetings to one and all. Here is yet another chapter of the Mythril Alchemist. I do not own any of the Fullmetal Alchemist universe, characters and so on. Now without further ado on with the story, enjoy!**

Chapter 2: The 'Short' Metal Alchemist

Maria and I managed to catch the train back to Central and arrived late that evening. I had thankfully called ahead and made arrangements for accommodations for us while we had been on the train. After getting off the train we headed to the hotel I had gotten a room at. Then after checking in headed up to our room we had. The room itself was large, comparable to a penthouse suite or a large apartment of sorts. This room second room with a queen sized bed; the door to that room was in the corner on the right on the far wall opposite of the door. The far side in the middle had the setup of a living room with a sofa and chairs. There was a door to the left that lead to a bathroom. There was even a full kitchen in this place. That wasn't even the most impressive part; the loft takes the cake in that. The loft had not a queen size bed, no it was a king! The master bath was to the right of the bed and there was even a walk in closet. I short a FANCY room! Granted it should be as this room was a 'penthouse suite' still. Maria stood at the doorway, the door still ajar, after we had entered the room and gaped.

I on the other hand set my rolling case down and grabbed the handle on the top of it. The rolling case wasn't exactly small. It would be better in fact to say it is more of a trunk. It measured two feet high and four feet long with wheels on the bottom on one end. It was more of a mobile research supply, weapon and other material depot than a case in my opinion. The reason I considered it a case was because of the many compartments that made up this case, which I stored the many things I see the need to carry. The case also reacts to my alchemy, which was very handy in different ways. Each compartment was alchemically sealed and could be opened by me any compartment at any time and I saw fit.

Overall since the idea works, no need to change it I say. I grabbed the case and went up the small set of stairs to the loft and put my rolling case by the king size bed which was I swear was bigger than king size. I was glad I was stronger than most, the case was heavy as I kept it fairly loaded if not fully crammed most of the time. I took off my silver over coat and hung it up in the closet, then came to the railing of the loft and looked down. I saw that Maria was still gaping at the doorway. Apparently she was still in shock of the size and décor of the room.

"So Maria, are you just going to stand there all night or are you going to come in and close the door?"

She instantly moved the rest of the way into the room and closed the door.

"Um… Matthew, isn't this a little much for just the two of us?!"

I thought for a moment. I came down the stairs from the loft, before I answered Maria.

"Well I would say it normally is, yet this was apparently the only room with two beds the hotel had left available at this time. This was the third Hotel I called and the first to have any rooms! So I said I would take it. Why do you bring up the subject?"

She looked around again before she looked back at me.

"Why would we need two beds?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I like to give you the option of using a bed if you should want to."

"Well it is just a bit overwhelming is all; I mean how much will this cost per night and in total?"

I did some minor calculations in my head, before I replied to Maria.

"Well as we'll be in Central for four days, at 500 a night… around 2000 in total cost I believe is what it came out to."

I said this in a matter of fact voice. Our accommodations are my responsibility as I was paying for this so it is my problem as this was my decision. So I was surprised to see Maria staring at me before she started shaking.

"YOU SPENT THAT MUCH ON A ROOM!"

My surprise quickly became confusion as I looked at her. She was very mad about this it would seem, yet I am kind of baffled as to why. It's not like we're hurting for money; not with the size of my research fund that the state provides! I state again I was paying for this, so my choice and call! She started forward towards me.

"Now look Maria calm down. It isn't like we're broke or anything at the moment..."

I didn't finish because of the bang that rang in the room; the sound was due to the fact that Maria hit my head with a chop from her right gauntlet. MY head was throbbing and pounding from that impact! I keep forgetting just how much those armor gauntlets hurt when used to hit someone. I stumbled back a few steps before regaining my balance. Maria was raising her right arm to hit me again, but I blocked with my left arm. She may be able to take me be surprise once, but twice is another matter! There was a clang of metal meeting metal as our arms met.

"Okay first of all, how I spend the money from my research grant is my decision! More importantly that chop to my head hurt damn it!"

Maria wouldn't however, back down; she rarely did with me. She pushed forward against me then swung her left arm, which I narrowly evaded by drawing back and sucking in my gut. I sent my right knee up to force Maria back a step.

"You need to show more responsibility with money Matthew."

I laughed at her statement. With the vast amount I get for my research grant, I don't need to worry much! The other fact is I am somewhat frugal with how I spend. I then sent a kick with my right leg at her, which she evaded.

"That coming from the younger of the two of us, that's funny!"

Maria threw another right hook that I deflected with a downward sweep of my left arm. I spun inward towards Maria and threw a left hook at her, which brushed her lower chest plate.

"That's right and aren't you ashamed about how your younger sibling is more responsible than you?!"

I jumped up off the floor slightly and delivered a roundhouse kick which Maria blocked with one arm and countered by grabbing my left leg with her other arm. She then swung me around in a circle before throwing me across the room. I used my momentum to flip in midair to regain control of my velocity and balance; before I landed on my feet sliding on the carpet. Thank goodness I have extremely heavy duty bearing in my automail! If I didn't the joints in my right leg would be straining and the bearings would be wearing in their spots. They make the world of difference in a fight, especially the long drawn out ones!

I looked up to see Maria running towards me from the other side of the room as I had flown through the air. She was about halfway across the room when I had landed and slid to a stop. I dashed forward; leapt onto the coffee table and then launched myself into the air using the table for leverage. I soared through the air and kicked Maria hard in her breast plate forcing her back. I sailed backwards and landed lightly on the floor in front of the coffee table.

"Embarrassed?! Hardly, I am dang proud that my little sister is responsible; even more so since I am horrible with responsibility myself. It helps equal out thing between us."

"That's not what you're supposed to say!"

Maria in a flash closed the distance between us. I threw a left hook at Maria in an attempt to throw her off balance. She dodged by dropping to the floor and performing a sweep kick. I hadn't expected this and so was knocked off my feet then sent crashing to the floor. The next thing I register is a hand on my chest pinning me to the ground. I look up to see the hand was that of Maria's. I sighed in my normal sign of defeat.

"... And have yet to beat that sister in any of our sparring matches over the years."

I smiled at Maria to show the argument was done. She then took her hand off my chest and then offered it to me. I accepted it and she pulled me to my feet.

"I am sorry I lost my temper."

I kept smiled back at her and waved a hand in dismissal.

"Don't worry about it; we needed a good sparring match to let out the stress that has been accumulating for the last few weeks. Especially after the things we saw back in Vinary; it is the best way to release. Besides I would be amazed if you didn't lose your temper every now and then. It shows you're still human when you do so, though your body doesn't say that currently."

"Thanks brother, that means a lot to me."

I nodded in response.

"I really did ask if they had any other rooms free, but they didn't. Apparently this is a popular weekend so, most hotels are booked up."

"I wonder what is going on for most hotels to be so booked up."

I shrugged in confusion.

"Not a clue why that is the case; all I was told is that most decent hotels are booked. The other fact I know I was mentioning to you was I used money from my research grant. That said grant is of no small amount let me tell you, it is quite a substantial amount actually. Anyway don't worry, it will all work out things for us always do eventual, but for tonight let's get some sleep. It's very late. Tomorrow always bring something, so let's be ready for whatever it will be."

===The next morning===

I woke up, thankful that I had closed the shades last night before turning in for the night. It prevented the sun from sending its light down and shines in my eyes and that would have been a very rude awakening.

Now I'm a person that doesn't like things to be early. I'm not a morning person period! To me if the sun hasn't been up for a couple of hours, then it's too dang early! I look over at the clock on the wall next to the bed; 7:30 a.m. Joy for me; speaking of too early in the morning! Now the question is why in the hell am I up so dang early?!

My recertification exam wasn't until 10 a.m.; that's two and a half hours away. I knew I could go back to sleep if I chose to. Yet the exchange would come in the form that I would later be woken up by Maria. That was something I would rather avoid as much as I can. I really don't want to have headaches for most of the day, with my exam I would prefer to have all mental faculties functioning the best they could! Such a thing would be due to the fact that when Maria wakes me up; she does so by giving me a sharp smack to the head to do the said waking. So I chose to get up rather than sleep more. So, I stretched and yawned. I have to say as comfortable this bed is, king size is just too big in my opinion.

I got out of bed still only half awake. I shuffled over to my rolling case and opened the back compartment that held my clothes and picked out my outfit for the day. I reminded myself to thank Maria for convincing me to go to get my clothes washed while we were in Vinary. I proceeded to the master bathroom that was connected to the loft. I really needed a much needed shower. I had the smell of blood and sweat; that would be unlikely to go over well for those who will be judging my work at my exam.

Normally water and automail aren't a good mix, I'm told. Problems apparently, due to changing the lubrication fluid consistency or mixture or something like that. I was thankful to my brilliant mechanic; because her custom made automail doesn't have that defect at all. So I don't have to worry about water or other liquids causing problems to my automail. One less hassle to have to worry about for me! When I got out of the shower and had dressed I walked out of the bathroom with a hairbrush, combing and straightening my hair. It is one of the major disadvantages of long hair, having to take care and do the maintenance on it. I descended down the stairs as I finished bradding my hair. I looked around and saw Maria in one of the armchairs and I saw that she was stirring by this time. She glanced over to the stairs to see me.

"Good morning Matthew."

I nodded and threw my braid of hair over my shoulders.

"Good morning Maria."

"So what is the plan for today?"

I came over and sat down on the couch. I went over mentally the plans of the day.

"Well I have my recertification exam at 10 a.m. this morning. After that, since we're here in Central; I was thinking we could stop by the library to see if we can make sense of Isen's notes until lunch. After lunch I have no idea."

"Which branch of the library do we go to?"

I froze at that question. Oh dear, since we don't get to Central very often… about once every two years unless something unusual comes up and I get recalled. The fact that Central has multiple branches to their library system is one that had slipped my mind. That complicates the daunting task of understanding Isen's notes. I turned slowly to Maria.

"Oh yeah, I forgot there are multiple branches in the library here in Central, oops."

Maria sighed. I laughed nervously.

"Okay then new plan! Maria could you, while I am doing my exam find out which branch we will need to go to for the information we need. We need to have books on the subject of mineral alchemy."

Maria nodded in understanding. I got up and ran up the stairs locked my rolling case shut and grabbed my silver over coat from the closet and put it on. I grabbed the handle of my rolling case and came back down the stairs. When I had gotten to the bottom I snapped my fingers and a small latch on the bottom rim of the case opened and I pulled out a handle. Now my case which had my materials in it was ready to roll. I love this case!

"Let's be on our way then, I would like to stop for breakfast before my exam. Forward and onward!"

===a few hours later===

"That was an excellent breakfast to start off the day."

I glanced over to Maria that at the moment was looking a little downcast. I realized she had heard what I said and suddenly felt horrible. I had reminded her about her inability to eat.

"I'm sorry Maria; I didn't mean to remind you of... the things you're unable to do as you are right now."

"It is okay brother."

I still felt horrible at what I had said. I wanted to cheer her up as she is my little sister. It's what big brothers do; the good one at least.

"I know I have said this before Maria, but I will say it again. I promise, I will find a way to get your body back. When we do you name it and we go and do all the things you can't now!"

"Thanks, it is nice to be reminded of our promise."

I glanced down at my watch for the time. It was 9:35 a.m. It was getting close to the time for me to report for my exam. I needed to dash! If I'm late, it will hurt my reputation as the Mythril Alchemist! That would be four years of good hard work that would go down the drain!

"Maria I need to get going if I don't want to be late. So I will see you afterwards, later."

I broke into a run. The exams were held and overseen by military high command. Since that was the case the exams were held at Central command. So I ran off towards the center of the city where I needed to go take my exam.

===scene change===

I stood outside central command catching my breath. I still had ten minutes to spare before my exam. It is a good thing I am in such good and fit shape at times like this. After I had caught my breath, I made my way up the steps and entered the building.

There were two tables with soldiers checking people in. I approached one of the tables and waited for my turn. When my turn came, I put my credentials on the table for the soldier to see. He looked up at me.

"My name is Matthew Selvess."

The soldiers saluted nervously as he had seen my credentials. I'm well aware that in the military system, rank and position does matters a lot. The structure of the system depends on soldiers following those of superior rank. Still I don't like authority; it just is a hassle for someone like me who doesn't really care about formalities. I had only joined the state military by becoming a state alchemist. I did so to get the funding my research needed; my work cost a LOT of money in the beginning. I rarely did the normal duties that my military rank would do. I have met two others who are, like me state alchemists and have the rank of Brigadier General; such as Basque Grand the "Iron-Blood" Alchemist or Christopher Francesco the "Terra Shift" Alchemist. I tended to get along with the latter of the two of them as he is not as strict.

"Of course Brigadier General go right ahead."

I nodded and thanked him and continued passed the tables for checking in. I headed through central command which was as usual when I come here, busy. Most the soldiers there ignored me; likely because I wasn't wearing the blue Amestrian uniform. I have since I had been certified as a state alchemist refused to wear the uniform, instead opting to go with my silver overcoat and whatever I felt like under that. I still had an Amestrian uniform; it was just at the bottom of the compartment that I kept my clothes in.

I finally arrived in the room that was being used for the state alchemist certification exams. It was an open room that there was no roof above. There were multiple tables where judges were observing alchemist doing transmutations. I saw a fairly good number of people in the room that weren't in military uniform. I assumed they were the applicants for state alchemist positions. I took a few minutes to watch some of the applicants doing their exams. As I observed them I wasn't very impressed; in fact I wasn't at all. The alchemist were either okay or they were novices. I hope this isn't what the future of state alchemist is going to be! Granted I had been one of the few exceptions that had outdone expectations, but the few exams I watched, if I were to judge I would fail them. They were making too many mistakes! Yes mistakes happen; still the applicants were making simple ones that I expect beginners to make a couple times.

While I had been looking at some of the examinees, I noticed a soldier coming up to me after seeing me.

"Excuse me, are you Brigadier General Selvess?"

I nodded in replied to the female soldier if the voice was anything to go by. The female soldier gesture for me to head over to a table on the right side of the room and I nodded again, thanking the woman. When I approached the table I saw that behind the table were five chairs with the five judges that would be proctoring my exam. They would be the five I need to impress, I was confident that I could do just that. Looking at their faces I noted that they were rather bored, very likely due to having to see the applicants making simple mistakes. I know I got bored quick watching them botching the rules of alchemy so badly! I stood in front of the table and bowed to the five officers and had some of their attention.

"Good morning gentlemen, I'm Matthew Selvess. It is a pleasure to be here in front of you today. Thank you for taking the time to be here."

I now had the undivided attention after the greeting I gave. The officer in the center smiled and spoke up.

"Hello Mr. Selvess, I must say all of us have been looking forward to judging a recertification exam for some variety. It is our good fortune to be able to judge the work of the 'Mythril Alchemist'; it's always said to be amazing!"

I nodded and smiled. In my original certification exam I hadn't just impressed those who had been watching; I had wowed them completely that I had been certified in less than an hour at the age of fifteen! The Fuery had been in the onlookers during my exam and even he had been impressed. He had asked me a few questions about my work before he personally certified me right there. My first recertification exam was very similar; I blew expectations of me out of the water and thoroughly shocked and impressed the judges once again. I would rise to do such a performance again here today!

"I do aim to do the best quality work I can sir."

It was then the officer on the far left spoke up and he gestured for me to continue.

"Very well then, you may begin Mr. Selvess whenever you are ready."

I nodded and set down my rolling case. I took out my alchemic gauntlets that had transmutation circles engraved on them. I can perform alchemy without them, yet the common person doesn't know that and I don't see a reason for that fact to change. I opened the front most compartments on my case where I kept my research material. I took out two short silver rods and placed them on the table.

"Gentlemen I would bring your attention to these two metal rods. This is the alchemic alloy known as Mithril, which I invented, created and continue to improve."

I gave the officers a short explanation on what Mythril was and a brief idea of the creation process. I told them that Mythril, the silver like material was extremely durable and nearly indestructible by conventional means known at this time. As it could only be made through alchemy, it had some unique properties. The alloy's durability and the strength of the alloy itself, which said strength and durability were amazing as there was little that could do damage to Mythril. Hence one of the reasons I was certified so quick; inventing a nearly indestructible alloy is no small feat! One of the other properties of Mythril and a very interesting one to note other than its durability strength of course, is that was to be able to manipulate Mythril you needed to know the exact alchemic make up or you couldn't transmute the Mythril at all. I still am the only one who knows the recipe for the alloy and understands the creation process of Mythril.

I have become accustom to giving this short but precise explanation about Mythril. I had to do so to most people as they don't know the name of the alloy. Most call it by either the name of "Divine Silver Steel" or "Holy Silver"; the latter tends to come up since it is the short name of the two. After my short explanation, I pointed to the one on my left or their right.

"This is the Mithril rod I presented at my last exam, please feel it should you wish."

The officers took the rod and handled it and passed it between one another. I smiled as they did. After they had inspected the rod they put it back.

"Now the second Mithril rod here may look identical however, it is not. It's make up has three different ingredients that the original rod doesn't include ..."

The officers began to handle the second rod and one of them hummed in surprise.

"Why this one is noticeably lighter than the other."

I nodded in confirmation. It has been the current point I have been improving; cutting the overall cost and weight. The original weight of Mythril had made application of the alloy impractical. It was just too heavy; I could carry Mythril, though I have amazing strength compared to average. I have gotten the total weight down since then so that most can carry the alloy without much of a problem. The cost at first… well wasn't cheap in the slightest! Four of the original materials I used to make Mythril were VERY expensive! I have found alternative materials to two of the original ones that don't compromise the alloy at all and cost MUCH less.

"Correct, the weight is lighter with the change in ingredients. I can assure you however that the different ingredients don't compromise or change the durability of the metal at all. The other thing is the changes in the ingredients have cut the cost to produce this metal by half of what it used to cost."

There were some gasps at my last comment on the cost. The original cost of Mithril had always been one of the harder problems to get pass, other than the recipe itself. Military High command when they had first seen how strong Mithril was and how much of a beating it could take, they were interested in it. They were quick to certify me and give me a 'generous' research fund to work with to improve Mithril.

I took one of the Mythril rods on my belt and brought it out in my right hand. I clapped my hands together and manipulated the rod into a thick sheet. The sheet was four inches wide, ten inches long and two inches thick. I held it in my left hand and looked at the officers.

"Gentlemen may I ask that whomever among you has the best aim with a gun; please take a gun out and then shot this sheet of Mythril."

One of the officers rose and took the gun that was in a holster at his left hip. He took aim and shot three rounds at the sheet of Mythril. When he had all of the officers gasped as they saw there was no change to the Mythril. There wasn't a single dent, scratch or any kind of mark on the sheet.

===scene change===

When I had finished my exam, the officers had been extremely impressed by my work and the display of it. So it is nearly impossible that I will fail to be recertified as a state alchemist again. I pulled my rolling case behind me as I made my way back through central command. I was smiling as I was in a good mood currently.

"Ah if it isn't the Mythril Alchemist, Matthew Selvess."

I turned to see who had spoken. I was surprised to see that it was none other than the Führer King Bradley himself. I mean there was always the chance I could see him; even more so when I was given the rank of Brigadier General. It wasn't like I avoided him or anything; it's just I am in Central so rarely that our paths really don't cross.

"It is always good to see you King Bradley sir. How is your son doing lately?"

Bradley's son was a bit of a fan of a little hobby I have. During my spare time, at least the small amount of time I have to spare that I don't focus on my work; I have a hobby that brings in extra money. I do intricate Mythril figurines and then sell them; I normally make to order. When Bradley's son had seen one of the figurines I made; he wanted one. So for his birthday I made one of King Bradley in uniform. I hope he liked it; King Bradley smiled at me.

"He is doing well, thank you for asking. He quite enjoys the gift you sent for his birthday."

Apparently he had liked the figurine of his father; I smiled.

"I am glad he does. I made that figurine with him being your son in mind."

"As it happens, I was hoping to run into you; when I remembered your recertification exam was this week. I am glad I did get to see you, Mr. Selvess while you were here."

"For something good I hope sir. I haven't done anything to be in trouble that I can think of at the moment."

King Bradley laughed slightly.

"Indeed it is a good reason. You are not in trouble; I was hoping you could assist on a case, with your skills in observation and seeing motive. I think your view would be valuable."

I nodded. The state military had noticed early on during my time as a state alchemist; that I had an amazing knack for seeing details that others miss. So I get asked to help on crime cases now and then.

"I could look at the case and give my view on it sir, if you wish. I would need to see the case file."

King Bradley still smiling handed me an envelope.

"Give this to Colonel Mustang and he will give you the case file. You can find Colonel Mustang at the eastern outpost, thanks for your assistance in this."

With that King Bradley walked away from me. I looked down at the envelope and sighed. Joy I now have extra work while I am here; meaning there will be less time to do research for Isen's notes! Oh well, maybe it will be interesting in some way; some of the case I help with are, occasionally. I left the same way I had entered it.

I had started down the steps of central command, when I noticed someone in a tall suit of armor. I couldn't help but think, 'that's... something you don't see every day, maybe some kind of hobby.' … Actually I see Maria every day and her body was a suit of armor. So I kind of do see this kind of thing every day. Yet I doubt that the person is "wearing" the suit of armor as Maria is.

Now that I think about it; what are the odds that the suit of armor isn't being "worn", but they're someone, who somehow lost their body and another bound their soul to the suit of armor? Oh why not take it a step further? Wouldn't be the weirdest coincidence if the first bet is true, the one who bonded their soul was their older sibling? … Okay since I am going on the weird tangent of guesses and predictions of what this sight is not. Why not go with the whole way and guess the impossible! If ideas one and two are in some ridiculous way facts of truth, then what are the slimmest of chances that the older sibling and the one that's bound to the armor now, ended up the way they are through committing the Taboo and did human transmutation?! … Like any of that would happen! That's not even really feasible in this case! Matthew you need to keep your head out of tangents like that; they're unhealthy!

Well best way to get an answer is just to ask. I walked down to the person in the armor. I put down my rolling case with a soft clunk.

"Pardon me; I was wondering is wearing that armor a hobby of some sort?"

The person in the armor turned to face me. His eyes were red pupils surrounded by black. My mind suddenly thought about Maria. This person's eyes were exactly like Maria's. That is different; I wonder if he really could be… no, as I said the odds of that are nigh to impossible! It's just my mind wandering into place I should go; I guess.

"No it is not a hobby."

I smiled back. That was rather rude of me to ask.

"I am sorry, that was rude of me to assume that. My name is Matthew Selvess, what is yours?"

"It is Alphonse Elric."

"It is nice to meet you Alphonse or do you prefer Mr. Elric?"

"Alphonse is fine."

I shook his hand. I sat down on the steps and Alphonse sat down next to me.

"So it might not be my business, but are you waiting for someone Alphonse?"

"Well you can call me Al and yes I am waiting for my brother."

So he has a brother does he? … This isn't helping in proving my betting tirade wrong! Actually it is more becoming plausible… No, this is nothing but an odd occurrence! Maria and I are the only ones who have done such stupid things! We are paying the price for our mistake! Well she committed the Taboo as well so Maria and I aren't the only ones technically! Um… that's bad subject to get into; time for a subject change. I nodded at his answer. I wondered who his brother was, but dismissed the question at the moment.

"I see I hope you don't mind if I wait next to you since I am also waiting for someone."

Al looked at me and nodded.

"No it is okay, I don't mind. My brother is here receiving orders."

I felt my eyebrows rise slightly. That means he is in the military; I wonder if he is an alchemist?

"I would assume then, that your brother is in the military?"

Al nodded to answer me.

"He is a state alchemist, the Fullmetal Alchemist."

My mouth had opened slightly. I pegged his brother on the money?! That's unexpected! I had heard the rumors about the Fullmetal Alchemist, even while on my travels. Quite a few interesting rumors among them in fact. Supposedly he is some sort of prodigy when it comes to alchemy, much like me. He is also supposed to be quite young as well. So I was mildly interested to know which rumors were true and which were exaggerations. I wouldn't mind having another alchemist around my age instead of having a ten year or more age gap between me and the next youngest alchemist. It has been getting tiring to have to deal with everyone else around you treating you as a green horn or something like that. However, before I had a chance to ask Al more. I heard a child's voice.

"Al!"

We turned to see a woman and a little five year old girl with here. I continued to stare as I realized I knew the pair. I had visited them two years ago when Maria and I were back in Central the last time.

"Elicia, Mrs. Hughes it is nice to see you."

Apparently Al knew them as well by what he had said. I looked at the two ladies and smiled. I had met the two ladies years ago when Lieutenant Maes Hughes had asked for my assistance on a case he was working on. We became… friends in a fashion, while working on the case together and so Maria and I had gotten to know his family as well. After that Maria and I tended to drop by to see them when we were in Central rare as that was.

I had caught Elicia's eye and she stared at me, while I smiled and waved back at her. I have no idea if she even remembers me, it had been around two years since the last time I saw her. She had been three or so back then. I can never tell when kids begin to remember things.

"Ah, you're Matt, daddy's friend, ha ha."

It would seem she does remember me. She must have her dad's memory for details. I just she didn't inherit he father's ability to talk one's ear off.

"I am impressed you remember me Elicia. You were still pretty young last time I saw you. You must have gotten your father's memory when it comes to details. Speaking of pretty, you sure have gotten better in that area."

Elicia smiled back at me.

"Ah so it is you Matthew."

I waved and Mrs. Hughes. I wonder if Hughes has finally overcome that bad habit of his and learned to be quite once and a while. With this being Hughes, I very much doubt it!

"It is nice to see you Gracia, so tell me has that man of yours talked his mouth off yet. He uses to talk non-stop about you two as I recall. Still as I don't get around here in Central as often as some, I couldn't say if that is the case still."

"No, he still does."

That's Hughes for you exactly as I thought. I would say he is showing loyalty to his family, but he goes overboard on being proud and happy by showing off pictures of his wife and daughter.

"Ha ha, it is good that he appreciates his family. But he needs to give it a rest, once and a while at least, for those around him if anything else."

"Wait you know Lieutenant Hughes?"

I glanced over at Al. I guess it would be confusing since I talked to Gracia and Elicia like I was a member of their family.

"Sure do, he and I have worked on a case together and through that I got to know his family."

I felt a tug on my sleeve and looked down to see Elicia. See looked like she wanted to ask me a question. She is too cute! That cuteness could be dangerous if I wasn't careful.

"Hey Matt, where is Mari?"

Mari? What is she talking about? I looked at her blankly trying to understand the question. It was then Gracia spoke.

"I believe she means Maria."

Oh, that's right she wasn't able to say Maria's name right the last time so Elicia had just started to call Maria, Mari. Maria didn't seem to mind it so I didn't say anything about it. I smiled in comprehension.

"She is doing some things at the moment, but I will be meeting up with her soon."

Gracia Hughes smiled at Al and me.

"Well Elicia we need to get going so wave goodbye to them."

Elicia waved at us with a smile on her face. The two of them left. She has become a cute kid. It's no wonder that Hughes gushes over like he does; he has been entranced by her cuteness. Al turned to me.

"So who is this Maria?"

"Oh, she is my younger sister. We have been traveling together."

"That sounds nice."

My smile faltered as I looked at him questioningly. Al sounded forlorn about Maria and I traveling together.

"Oh… you sound down about the idea of traveling with someone. Why is that so?"

"You and your sister are traveling together it must be nice to do so."

By the things he said earlier I was under the impression that his brother and him were going places together as well. Maybe that isn't how it is for him with his brother. My smile had disappeared from my face by this time.

"Don't you and your brother travel together?"

"Yes we travel together."

Okay so then why does Al sound so down about Maria and me traveling with each other? I guess that isn't my business per say. I smiled again.

"Then you know it is nicer to travel with someone than to travel alone. My sister and I have been traveling together for years now."

I glanced down at my watch for the time. I saw that it was a lot later than I had thought!

"Oh my, would you look at the time! I am sorry Al, but I need to go. It was nice meeting and talking to you."

I grabbed my rolling case and briskly jogged off to find Maria.

===scene change===

I found Maria after around fifteen minutes of looking. She had used the time I had been taking my exam to find out which branch would have the books on mineral type alchemy. She had learned in her search where we would need to go, that was the second branch of Central's library, for the books we were looking for were there. So we headed to the second branch in search of books that could help us translate the meaning of Isen's notes.

When we had arrived at the Second Branch of Central's Library I approached the main desk looking around for someone to ask for where the books on the subject we needed were located. I seeing no one examined the desk in hopes of finding something else that could perhaps summon assistance. I spotted a bell; one of the sorts you would find at the front desk of a hotel. I tapped the small button on the top of the bell. It rang quietly in the silent library. I waited for a minute still looking around for anyone! Maria was shifting her armored limbs; showing that she was restless like I was. I began to tap my left foot impatiently.

When two minutes had gone by I rang the bell again. I am starting to wonder if it wouldn't be more efficient to just go searching ourselves; at least it would be faster at this point! A few more minutes went by and I was getting irritated and began ringing the bell ever thirty seconds! This place that people call a library was as empty and quiet as a morgue is of living bodies right now. After about ten minutes of this later, I was about to give up on waiting for someone and go looking myself. When finally a person that I hope was a library assistant came to the desk and bowed.

"Good day to you sir, is there something I can help you with?"

I wanted to say that you made us wait for over fifteen minutes! That however, would be kind of mean and that isn't the type of person I am; unless someone pushes me to do that. I took a deep breath before I nodded in reply.

"Yes, I am looking for books on the subject of mineralogy and mineral based alchemy. I would prefer ones published around twenty five years ago to most recent. Could you direct us to where such books might be? As much as I would love to spend the day in a library; unfortunately I don't have the time."

The library assistant took a moment to think about the request.

"There are quite a few books that would fit those parameters, are multiple sections in fact. Could you specify or narrow down your query any more what you wish to find books on?"

I took a second to think how to put what we were doing without simply announcing that we had Isen's notes. Admitting that I had Isen's notes was something I wanted to avoid. Since someone had gone to the trouble of murdering Isen; the party the two were a part of, didn't want his notes to be read or see the light of day. As far as they know his notes haven't been found or had been lost. Things would go smoother if said party continues to think that.

"Well I came across some references to a former state alchemist's notes and have some excerpts of the alchemist's notes. However, the notes make references to subjects I'm not very familiar with. So I wanted to get a somewhat basic understanding even if it is only minor one of the subjects referenced."

The assistant nodded in comprehension.

"Which state alchemist's notes do you have excerpts from?"

"They're from Former state alchemist Kurt Isen's work I believe."

The library assistant nodded again. Apparently they recognized the name of Isen.

"The Earth Stone alchemist, I believe the books you would need are in the third section, the second and third rows. If you need more assistance please don't hesitate to ask."

Oh I won't hesitate to ask; if I wanted to waste my time waiting for someone to come to help me! Instead, I bowed and thanked the assistant, and then Maria and I proceeded to the referred location in the library. When we reached the area I looked down the second row and my eyebrows raised and my mouth opened in shock. The sheer number of books that were there was amazing and they were all on mineral based alchemy. Each of the bookshelves was built eight feet long and between eight and ten feet high per section. The rows of selves tended to be made up of five of the eight foot sections. All those shelves were completely full of books. Maria and I just stood there for a moment and stared; Maria most likely with awe, where for me it was in reverence and joy. Maria spoke first out of the two of us.

"The assistant wasn't joking when he said there were a lot of books on the subject."

I nodded in agreement. Books have a special place in my heart and have always will.

"And how... Well I suppose that just staring will do little. So… let's as I love to say, time to dive into the books then shall we?!"

After an hour of skimming through the vast number of books we had managed to narrow the number down to six different books. Hopefully these books would help understand Isen's notes.

"Well six is much better than what we started with brother."

"Indeed, let us go check out these books for now and head back to the hotel. We can begin to translate the notes there."

We headed up to the main desk again; I was grateful that the assistant was there so we didn't have to wait. We checked out the books we had narrowed down to in our search. I put them in my rolling case for easier transport and we left the second branch. As we had been heading back to the hotel I was looking forward to an evening of reading and research. I was planning out a system of how Maria and I would get through the majority of the books tonight when I remembered the assignment I had gotten from King Bradley. I suppose I should get the case started first before research; oh fiddlesticks!

"Hey Maria, you go back to the hotel by yourself. I need to make a slight detour to pick up something from the eastern checkpoint command post. I will meet you back at the hotel after I am done."

Maria looked at me. I hadn't mentioned my talk with Führer Bradley to her; I trust Maria, but I don't want to involve her in something that could be dangerous.

"Military assignment; it will be quick, if I have any say in the matter. We will see how things go.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

I shook my head. It would be better for just me to go.

"No, I don't see going to pick up things being that much of a problem to do. Of course, that is unless I get some kind of crap to deal with or something else."

"Like what?"

I thought for a moment. What is the worst that could occur?

"Oh I, don't know, two guys acting like stupid school boys or a muscle obsessed guy breaking through a wall to name a few. Those are such possibilities I would rather avoid."

If I mention possibilities why not go really random?

-Scene change-

I arrived at the eastern checkpoint command post, which is where the case file was supposed to be at that I was asked by the Führer himself in person to look at. Instead of waiting for someone to ask me if I needed help; I started to ask around for Mustang who Führer Bradley said was in charge. The response of most soldiers was to ignore me at first; likely due to me being young as I am. That's normal for me; I have been getting that type of treatment for the last six years being certified as a state alchemist starting at fifteen. But I can be really good at getting attention when I want to, that is for sure.

How did I get the soldiers to give me their attentions you might ask? I simply watch for a moment and when a soldier was passing me I grabbed him by the collar of his uniform. This action got the attention of most if not all of the soldiers in the office quick. When I had done so, I asked the soldier I was holding where I would be able to find Colonel Mustang. The soldier whose name was Havoc tried to tell me to go away, but I gave him a look that told him to do what he was told. He showed me to where Mustang's office was without another word after seeing the expression. There I met a female soldier by the name of Risa Hawkeye outside of Mustang's office. She was a lieutenant and apparently like a secretary to this colonel Mustang. However, Mustang was currently busy with someone else by what lieutenant Hawkeye said. The person that Mustang was with would take some time; the two didn't get along or so the soldiers in this place would say as they would chuckle. It was a reaction I hadn't expected!

Well as I will need to wait for a time, might as well use the time for catching up of my notes. I looked around and saw a row of chairs, so I brought my rolling case over to stand by the chair I planned to sit in. Then I took the seat to wait for the Colonel to finish with his present appointment. There was no rush for me to get the case file and go. I hope that this appointment of Mustang's wouldn't take the whole evening. I have research to do and this case needed to be done first. So I wanted to get it done and out of the way so I could go back to researching for a way to get Maria back her body and also my work.

I would just like to get the file and still have time to get some sleep tonight. It had been a long day and compiling my notes would be a wise idea. I sunk down into the chair and I glanced around the room and saw that Alphonse Elric was sitting just outside the office in the hallway that was connected to this office I was now in. This was a very nice surprise to see Alphonse again. He had been nice company even for a short time.

"Well, we meet again Al."

Al looked over at me.

"Oh Mr. Selvess I didn't expect to see you here."

"Please you can just call me Matthew; I'm not really fond of titles. Plus just hearing someone saying 'Mr. Selvess' makes me think they're addressing my father rather than me."

As I sat in the chair waiting for the man called Roy Mustang, there was silence between myself and Al. I took out my notebook that was in my back pocket along with a pen. Then I began to go over my most recent notes. The biggest thing recently had been those two, odd people Maria and I came across while we had been looking for Isen. The Fat boy or Gluttony as his name apparently was had done some things that shouldn't be possible. I mean mouths simply don't open THAT wide… not without unhinging the jaw. Then there had been fat boy's arm regenerating after I had sliced it off. I have never seen regeneration that quick or clean! Then there had been the woman; I knew much less about her, just her name in fact. Lust creeped me out in a way that no one has before. Between them the only thing for sure that I could see was that strange tattoo that they both had.

It was then felt someone's gaze on me. I glanced over and saw Al was the one doing so; he was trying to see what I was reading. I was used to this; Maria does it to me a lot. It was how she learned alchemy almost as quick as I did; she observed me.

"Is there something I can do for you Al?"

He shook his head nervously.

"No I was just wondering what you were reading."

I smiled back at Al, he really reminded me of Maria.

"It is okay Al, I was going over my notes I have been jotting down recently. I have always had the habit to write things down for later review."

"Oh Sorry, I wasn't trying to pry."

I continued to smile at him.

"Don't worry about it Al, my sister does that quite a lot as well."

Al was rubbing the back of his head. I was about reassure Al that it was really okay and I didn't mind. Yet, it was then the door that I had been told lead to Mustang's office flew open or rather it was nearly sent off its hinges and two people came out. One was a man with short black hair and in a blue Amestrian uniform. If I were to hazard a guess the man must be Colonel Roy Mustang. The other was... a kid with blond hair, in a red over coat? At least I think that was what I was seeing; I couldn't be one hundred percent sure.

The 'kid' looked… fourteen years old, maybe less? … This is getting really awkward and kind of odd! Okay what is with this scene?! It was hard to tell what was happening and who was involved at the moment since the kid and Mustang were arguing like little unruly school boys. It was a rather embarrassing display if you ask me. I don't deny this show that these two were unknowingly putting on for everyone else was extremely comical! Wait unruly school… oh for the love of… why does this happen more often than not?!

"Colonel, Edward that is enough."

This was said by Lieutenant Hawkeye. Lite entertainment in the work place is good for a healthy work environment; I totally agree such a sentiment, though not good when in excess! I wonder if this sort of thing is normal here in Central. I don't get around here much so I wouldn't know what is normal. If it is, even more of a reason for me to travel a lot; I need to stay away from this kind of thing! This would provide far too much opportunity for me to have fun at others expense, usually by teasing them relentlessly. Maria had been desperately trying to break me of the habit of teasing others about their faults that they had a problem with and pulling practical jokes on people. You see the more I get to know about someone the more likely I am to tease them; one of the ways I show I care. Others might say it is more a way to insult someone and I may come off that way, but I disagree. To laugh with someone is a good thing, even if it is at their expense. One of the reasons we travel so much; Maria's way of not giving me opportunity to even be tempted to prank or tease!

I simply shook my head and sighed. The two 'boys' continued to argue and were at each other's throat! It was as if they hadn't heard the Lieutenant; I doubt they had and if they did both had ignored her. I would normally attempt to ignore such sights; or I would come up with a way to make it even more amusing! Nonetheless I had other things to do; no need to tempt fate at the present moment. Besides I needed Mustang's cooperation to get the case file I have been asked to look over. However, why do I have to get one of the scenarios that I used as an example with Maria?! I come up with such random ones so that I don't have to watch them! Yet here I am like times before watching stuff like this!

"Has anyone told the two of you; the both of you fight like unruly school boys? If you are trying to show how big of an idiot you both are, you're doing an amazing job."

I had raised my voice enough so that both heard me. Nevertheless, I was still reading through my notebook and so I didn't even looking up as I said what I had. I was making a small notation on an entry as I did. The reaction I received from my statement was that both of the 'boys' turning to face me and said in sync.

"YOU CARE TO REPEAT THAT!"

I sighed. Am I being force to babysit here? I would like to know what I have done to have deserved this crap as a punishment! I closed my notebook and rose from the chair I was sitting in. I looked at them to see their faces set with expressions of fury. These two are quite the pair of emotional boys, aren't they? It was rather comical to me in a fashion, and yet also fairly annoying. I really hate having to be delayed and denied time I could be researching! It is why I tend not to work with others often; I can usually get the job done faster myself. But there are times that I need to corporate with others to get things done and I know it. Still I kept a straight face as I spoke to them.

"If you insist, I said 'Has anyone told the two of you; the both of you fight like unruly school boys? If you are trying to show how big of an idiot you both are, you're doing an amazing job.' Please act your age and not like idiotic boys who look like older than they are mentally. You both are supposed to be adults in the military after all. I assume that you are Roy Mustang, am I correct?"

I pointed at the man in Uniform, to which he nodded as he calmed down. I walked up to Mustang; he is a tad taller than me, but that is kind of normal for me. Most officers are taller than me as well as older. I didn't even spare a look for the kid; I saw no need to. I am here to get the case file and then go back to the hotel, do some research, before going to bed! That was my master plan. However, even though I was ignoring him I could hear him saying something I assume to get my attention. This blonde kid needs to learn to shut that mouth when others are talking!

"I am here to pick up the 'Horsemen case file'. I have been asked to look it over."

Mustang looked at me in slight disbelief. I really don't know what the case is about yet. I will read it later I just want to get out of here before I do something I will end up regretting later in the form of being bitten in the rear!

"Why would you need to look at it? Who are you anyway?"

I shrugged my shoulders. Hell if I know why the higher ups want me to look at the case. I really don't care much either way.

"My name is Matthew Selvess. As to why I need the file, I was asked to give it a look over. I guess the higher ups in the military want a second opinion on the matters in this case, but who knows? It isn't up to me to make that decision."

I went to my rolling case, opened one of the front compartments and took out the letter I had gotten from Führer King Bradley and handed it to Mustang. The letter was still sealed; I had no reason to open the envelope. He took out the letter and looked over it before he stiffened.

"Falman tell Hughes to go fetch the Horsemen Case Report for our guest, these orders confirm what he says."

Finally some progress on getting this done so I can get down to some peaceful and wonderful research! It was then the kid began to shout shattering my hopefully prospect.

"HEY DON'T IGNORE ME!"

I finally looked down to the kid who had just shouted. I had tried to ignore him; mostly for his own benefit. I don't play well with others, the majority of the time; especially the kind that are bratty and loud! This kid fit the type of person I dislike and so LOVE to tease and prank the most! I sighed at his action. This kid was really making an idiot of himself without even trying. I still had no clue as to why the kid was even here! This is a military facility, not a day care or school!

"What is it kid?"

"I AM NOT A KID!"

Oh really?! The way you're acting disproves that statement in a heartbeat! He was still yelling, only proving my original assumption correct; he is just a kid. He needed to be put in his place and I would be more than happy to put him there! … But Maria would royally ream me if she were to find out. She somehow always does and then I have to deal with Maria beating me followed by the silent treatment. I don't want to go through that again! It was just cold! So the question is, should I be that mean?

"You certainly act like one. Now what do you want kid, a cookie or something?! Sorry I'm all out of cookies, besides you would have to earn one by good behavior."

"I TOLD YOU I'M NOT A KID AND I AM HERE TO GET MUSTANG TO CHANGE HIS MIND!"

I looked over to Mustang for an explanation, which had his hand to his forehead. These two really don't get along do they? This is getting interesting; I can hardly wait to know what happens next in this story. Oh it's becoming so hard to resist messing with the kid! I must… resist the urge… One line shouldn't hurt, right?!

"Oh, is that so, I wasn't aware that the military now doubled as a babysitting service, that is nice to know. Now kid, can't you see that the adults are talking; so be good and wait."

I kept a hold on the reins on my teasing and pranking urges; there Maria, hope you are proud of me for that. Your years of work are paying off as I am not being like I used to be. Al rose and came forward.

"Brother, come on that is enough."

This came from Al; I turned to him, before I fully processed what he had said. …Please tell me he didn't say brother?! Then that would mean that the kid is... Oh you have got to be kidding me! This kid is the 'Fullmetal Alchemist'… Oh this would be trouble! I let of something between a sigh and a groan. So much for hoping for a good colleague close to my age! Instead I get a brat of a kid as the only other alchemist less than ten years apart from my age.

"Excuse me kid, you wouldn't happen to be the Fullmetal Alchemist, would you?"

"Yeah I am what is it to you?"

I shook my head in exasperation. Oh I will miss my original misconception of him! Kid you have no idea just how many rules you have broken already with the way you are acting, that is before opening your mouth and badmouthing me. I could have you court martialed for a couple of reasons I can pick from! Although wonder why they gave you the title of Fullmetal? That kind of title would fit your brother more; it doesn't fit you at all!

"I have heard some of the rumors that had been circulating about the Fullmetal Alchemist, yet this isn't what I had expected. More what I had least had expected to see."

"What do you mean by that?"

Well looks like the time to put this kid in his place for the moment has come. I am sorry Maria I can't resist the urge; this kid is just asking for this so badly. I will deliver! I promise to repent of this later!

"Well the rumors never said anything about you being, so... so..."

I am normally a nice person to other people when it comes to not saying insults that are obviously true. There are exceptions, but those are rare; usually when Maria isn't around. In this instance I was wondering if he would take the bait I had just thrown out for him. I was fishing for an insult granted, but I'm good at pegging people accurately. Al's brother, Edward Elric's height or lack thereof was my guess for his soft spot. Oh how I hope he takes the bait! I really want to tease him; he practically begging for it!

"So what?"

YES! Oh yeah he took the bait hook line and sinker! I am going to enjoy this; I haven't pranked someone like I was about to for nearly a year! I have tried to overcome the urge for Maria as it seems so important to her. But I can't deny that I find a certain element of pleasure in pulling a prank on someone who is asking for it! He was obviously daring me to say something about his height. Well I would deliver on that and not disappoint him. I just am curious; if I'm right, then how big with the blow up be? Here within lies one of the fun parts of teasing!

"So... vertically challenged."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT YOU COULD CRUSH HIM WITH YOUR BOOT!"

I managed to keep my reaction to just having my eyebrows rise at his reply. The magnitude that he had exploded over just three simple word meant to poke fun at his height was awesome! Oh boy, I think Maria's attempts of breaking me of teasing others just became voided! Teasing Edward Elric was clearly going to be almost as addicting as reading books and researching is for me! Those two activities are addictions I couldn't be broken of! Apparently he has a problem people insulting his height. This was going to bite him in the butt soon. If it hadn't already; I will be more than happy to make sure that happens relentlessly! I would assume it had bitten him in the rear already. Though I would say nowhere near hard enough for him to get the point… okay I might be using such reasoning to justify me drilling in the lack of height he had more, but works for me! Yet… the reaction was amusing to the point I can see the fun of teasing him. Still work before play. I got ahold of myself and turned to Mustang.

"Mustang you have my heartfelt condolences at having to watch this one. I don't envy you in that."

I envy the opportunity you have to tease him!

"You have no idea."

I looked hard at Mustang; then back to Fullmetal. OH I just can't resist teasing him once more! This is truly getting to be addicting!

"No, can't say I do and I really don't want to. Not if the circus around here is what I would have to deal with. I mean he is so short that I think I would lose him pretty quick. People should call him the 'Short' metal alchemist."

I heard the ring that signaled alchemy. That sound snapped me back to being completely serious; I have to be when alchemy is involved. I spun around to see Edward Elric had put his palms to the ground performing alchemy. Okay maybe I had gone a tad too far with the last comment, but this was overreacting to an extreme.

That previously mentioned court martial is sounding much more interesting right now! I could call one for Elric assaulting me a higher ranked officer to him by a few levels. Still I will make the decision later; first I need to diffuse the current situation.

I jumped out of the way of the earth hand that rose up to grab for me. I snapped my fingers and two side compartments on my rolling case that were on the sides popped out and handles shot upward out of the compartments. The holsters that were set into the compartments held my metal gauntlets that had transmutation circles on the top of the palms. Again I didn't really need them as I can do transmutations without circles due to going through the gate, but that wasn't common knowledge! I think it better to keep it that way in my opinion.

Elric started doing more alchemy, which I evaded by performing a handstand followed by me pressing my hands down then up to spring up into a backflip. As I was fully upside down in the flip, I slid my hands into the gauntlets and pulled them off the handles. I retrieved one of the silver colored Mythril rods from the back of my belt while I was still flipping towards the ground. The rods were strapped into loops so that I could access them at any time I needed. Why you may wonder I keep my Mythril rods easily accessible? Let me just say experience is a very good teacher! I landed back on my feet, with a Mythril rod in hand, ready to fight.

"FULLMETAL STOP THIS NOW!"

Little Edward didn't listen to Mustang, I would doubt by what I had observed that Edward Elric listens to Mustang often if at all. I clapped my hands, the circles on the gauntlets glowed as I did. The rod began to change shape, into a cutlass type sword. When the sword was finished, I spun the sword so that it pointed down at the ground. I plunged the blade into the floor beneath me; the circles on my gauntlets glowed again. Edward was out of control and it was time for that to end. It is all fun and game until someone gets hurt! Within seconds two Mythril blade shot out of the ground under Edward and came to a stop crossing right below his chin. Edward froze when this happened.

"Stand down Fullmetal Alchemist. You're out of control and you're putting your fellow soldiers in danger needlessly. You need to calm down now. Should you fail to comply, I will disable you by force, even if that means it puts you in the hospital for a time. I will personally make sure you are chained to the bed with chains that won't break by any means you possess; So you won't have a chance of escape for a long while. It is your choice, so what will it be?"

"You win."

Edward Elric said this nervously as he looked at the blades at his chin and stopped performing alchemy. The Mythril blades withdrew into the ground below and they retracted through the underground back me and reformed into the blade I had plunged into the floor under me.

I withdrew my sword and swung it around in a circular arc. This was a habit I had; I have no idea where or how I got it, but I did it without thinking now. I then, clapped my hands and transmuted the blade back to a rod. I stored the rod in the loop on the back on my belt. Okay I will need to keep firm control on the urge to tease the 'Short Metal' alchemist. I can't afford for it to get out of hand like that! Mustang was staring at me; I looked back at him with curiosity.

"You're an Alchemist."

Well like it isn't obvious with what just happened. Granted I am not in Central often so few know what I look like, but still. I sighed at Mustang's statement. I reached down to my right hip and grabbed my silver pocket watch and brought it out for all to see. There were many gasps from soldiers who had been watching. You would think they have never seen the silver pocket watch.

"Technically, yes I am a state alchemist. My title, given by the state is the 'Mythril Alchemist'."

Mustang stared in shock; Edward gaped stupidly, most of the other soldiers snapped to attention and saluted. Yet again my reputation precedes me! Most might not know what I look like, but they have heard of my alchemist title and have no doubt heard stories about me. 'Oh the can of worms I had just opened' as they say in the south. This was going to be tiresome, I could tell. So much for getting the file quick and leaving in little time at all; I had already spent more time here than I had planned to or wanted to either! This was another one of those times that being as famous as I have become over the last four years… really sucks!

"Could everyone stop being so stiff and shocked; this is getting awkward for me. I'm in the military just like the rest of you."

The soldiers started to whisper among themselves, no doubt about me. Though I have the rank of Brigadier General, most don't know that I am as young as I really am. Mustang walked up to me and extended his hand to me. It was to be polite to Mustang, that I took his hand and shook it.

"I must say it is an honor to me the Mythril Alchemist. I have read some of the reports on events you have been involved in. Your work is impressive."

So say pretty much everyone else too. The respect is nice and all, yet it is mostly attached to my title of the Mythril Alchemist. I shrugged my shoulders.

"So I am told by people. It is nice to meet the Flame Alchemist in person. I'm not one, if I may use the phrase, 'to toot my own horn'. I simply help those who need help. It is the way I am Mustang."

"So you really are a state alchemist then."

I turned to Edward Elric, who had spoken. I let out a long sigh and gave Edward a look that an adult would give a child who asks for what was just said to be repeated.

"I do believe that's what I said. Maybe you should have someone check your ears short stuff. They probably need to be cleaned out."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A RUNT SO TINY HE COULD ONLY BE SEEN WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS, YOU JERK!?"

I was trying not to laugh. His responses were getting more hysterical as they came. I love this! I took a moment to calm myself and took a deep breath and let it out. I was about to give Edward Elric a retort when I heard two voices that were faint and behind me. I listened to identify the voices. If I had to guess the voices were in the other room.

"Major wait that is going too far."

That voice sounded like... Hughes?

"Nonsense Hughes, now witness the alchemy that has been passed down the Armstrong lines for generations!"

I only had time to think, 'Uh oh, this can't be good.'

An explosive crash came from the door behind us. There was thick a cloud of dust hanging in the air, causing everyone to have coughing fits. When the dust had cleared and settled I glanced to where the door to the outer parts of the outpost is, or at least where the door had been. Now there was a large hole in the doors place. In what had been previously a doorway stood Lieutenant Hughes looking disgruntled. Next to him was a large man that stood a couple of heads taller than Hughes. He had blue eyes and a single blond curl of hair. He had a mustache that was hard to miss. His face reminded me of someone I had gotten to know while Maria and I had been doing some work in the north. The person was one of the few who had my respect to any really extent; it was a woman by the name of Olivier Mira Armstrong. She had a rank one step high than mine, that wasn't the reason she had a bit of my respect. She had a way of commanding soldiers that I have yet to see anyone out do. Plus she had beaten me hands down; I admit it. She is one of the few who have. In short she could whip soldiers into shape in no time flat!

Back to the large man; the other fact about this guy was he was VERY muscularly built. He could give Martin a run for his money in the muscle department. I couldn't say if he could out do Sig. Now that I thought about Sig I wonder how Te... His wife is doing lately. Actually better not to think about that, the bad memories would start coming back about the times with her… *Shudder* scary things she did. Mustang looked at the large man with annoyance.

"Major Armstrong why did you make a hole in the wall?"

Armstrong?! Is it possible that he could be related to Olivier? Maybe, though it isn't the time to ask. This major Armstrong started to sweat as he saluted Mustang.

"I am sorry Colonel, my mistake."

I held my sides trying hard not to laugh at this. I failed and burst out laughing. This situation was completely stupid, so much so it was hysterical to me. Not only did I get to see and experience, not one but both of the examples I came up with randomly when Maria had asked me. It was just so funny, I couldn't stop laughing. I did not doubt that everyone in the room was probably staring at me wondering why I was laughing. After five minutes, I was able to calm down and stop laughing. I looked to Mustang and smiled.

"What a motley crew you have here Mustang, I would guess there is never a dull moment around here."

Mustang scratched the back of his head.

"I guess that is one way to put it."

It was at that point Hughes came forward. I don't know if he had recognized me yet, it had been two years after all. Yet with his memory, I would bet he hasn't forgotten me.

"Colonel here is the case file you asked for."

"Thanks Hughes, it is actually for him."

Mustang pointed at me as he said this. Hughes turned to me and looked at me. After a few seconds, Hughes eyes widen slightly and then a familiar gleam was in them. I swear that there were stars shining around his face, much like when he talks about his family. Oh boy, this was going to be a bit unpleasant, here we go. Hughes was instantly in front of me, took my right hand and began to shake it vigorously.

"If it isn't Matthew Selvess here in the flesh! I haven't seen you since you helped on the Vole case two years ago. Your work was superb. I have never seen anyone perform the same quality work as you did. I should have known that the higher ups would bring you in for this case. It is a pleasure to work with you again"

I smiled at Hughes. Hughes hasn't changed one single bit!

"It is nice to see you too Hughes. It looks like your wife, Gracia was exactly right that you talk up a storm still."

I went over to my rolling case and put my gauntlets back into side compartments. I then, quietly snapped my fingers and the side compartments closed. I went back over to Hughes, grabbed the file that Hughes had and bowed.

"It has been... Interesting to come here, to say the least. Still, I really need to be going. I need dinner and sleep so, I will be leaving now."

I grabbed my rolling case and started walking out of the room, but at the door I stopped and thought for a second. I then, turned and faced Edward Elric. I was unable to resist putting in the last word in the conversation.

"By the way, Elric you really need to learn to take or ignore insults, mini midget."

I left the room, however before I had exited the outpost I heard Edward's response and smiled, which was music to my ears.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT YOU COULD USE HIM AS A FOOT STOOL!"

-Scene change-

The sun was starting to set as I got back to the hotel. I went up to the room and unlocked the door and enter. I closed the door quietly and let out a sigh.

"Peace and quiet at last. No Hughes running off his mouth. I like Hughes and all, it is just he needs to understand quiet isn't a bad thing to have. No midget trying to maim or kill me, that runt needs to learn how to take an insult, though poking fun at him is great fun. No other random stuff demanding my attention. I don't envy Mustang for having the position he does, too much random crap happening."

I slowly walked in and looked around until I caught a whiff of something cooking. I walked over to the kitchen area and spotted Maria cooking. I smiled at the sight.

"So, what is for dinner then?"

Maria turned to see me.

"Oh brother, you're back. You took a lot longer than you said you would."

I nodded.

"Yeah, I am sorry it took longer than I expected to get the item I was getting."

Maria studied me for a minute.

"Problems?"

I sighed in acknowledgment.

"Isn't there always, but why do I have to foretell the events somehow?"

"So I take that to me that you got to experience one of your examples you said, which example did you get to see?"

I shook my head.

"Oh if only it were one. No since it is me I got both."

Maria laughed at my statement. I smirked slightly.

"Glad at least one of us finds it amusing."

"I am sorry it is just..."

I waved a hand in dismissal.

"Yeah I know it has been this way for a while. Let's just drop this and have dinner and turn in for the night. I am dead tired from today's events."

**chapter end**

**A/n**

**That is it for the moment. I admit I didn't originally did not plan to bring Ed and Al in yet, but why the hell not I say. I will say I enjoyed poking fun at Ed's height and will continue to do so for a while. I also wanted to show Matthew to be a bit more a people person. Thank you for reading and please take the time to review.**


	3. Update and News

A/n

Hello to all my wonderful readers! I know it has been a little while since I posted ANYTHING really and I am sorry for that. I have been getting ready to go back to school full time. Then life in general has been just busy. The major problem I have faced other than the ones I have mentioned would be that since my laptop tried to update to Windows 10… it chose to spit in my face and say no! Simply put, my computer is dying and I have been desperately trying to get as many of the files and data off it as I can before it stops working completely. There is hope however, with some of the money I get from grant for school I get to (drumroll please) get a brand spaking new laptop! That will hopefully help with some of the problems I have had to deal with lately. I would like to give a bit of a 'status update' on the stories I'm currently am working on and those I'm still planning to continue.

The White Dragon Chronicles (Spyro fanfiction)

I am going to continue writing this story! For those who have spent the time reading this story; you can understand that I have put more hours than I want to count into this story, either researching ideas for this story or toying around with ideas for it and just plain writing and rewriting thing for this one. In other words more time than I want to admit to myself or anyone else! I have revised or more like somewhat rewritten chapters 1-4 of part two of the chronicles. I'm working on chapter thirteen and just by what I have written thus far (Without revealing and spoiling too much to you readers) the chapter is going to be longer than average length of 10,000 words and it's going to be PACKED. Yes sir, there will be lots of events and of course chaos galore! After all, how would my hero Saber's life be normal without chaos in it? I'm still revising chapters 5-12; I have no idea how long that will take to finish, but I will finish!

Ancient Powers (High School DxD fanfiction)

I'm planning on going on with this story as I really like the anime and manga of High School DxD; I find it extremely funny. I have updated this one somewhat recently. I know on this story that some had said they were hoping that my OC character Kira Hyoto wouldn't be the star of the story or at least who the story is all about. I can say that he is not. With this I decided to try jumping back and forth; have each chapter be completely from one character's point of view. I have seen this style done I wanted to see if I could do it. Still haven't really come to any conclusions in that question. Anyway this story will be a more, long and slow project for me; I don't know at what speed and frequency I will be able to work on this story.

Infinite Stratos: If Ichika was not an Idiot

Sadly I have lost the drive I once had for this one and so will not be continuing this story. It's been too long since I worked on this and so… no I don't think I can do this story anymore. I'm sorry and wish things could have gone differently.

The Silver Alchemist

I haven't decided whether I will keep going with this one or not. I like the characters and even still have some ideas for the story, but I haven't really worked on it for a while and with me when I don't work on a story for a while I lose the drive for it. So if you want me to keep going on it review and tell me.

Breath of Fire: Brothers in All but Blood

This one is something I jotted down years ago and even wrote two chapters to before I forgot about it. I recently found the two chapters I wrote down (on paper, yes that's how long ago it was) and I thought, 'what the hell' and typed it up and gave it a grammatical overhaul as I was a lot younger and much worse at writing back then. Give it a chance, read it and tell me what you think. I wrote it after playing the now, classic Breath of Fire 2 on the Super Nintendo. I love the game even now and am considering whether to finish this story or to let it stay as an unfinished idea. Review and give me some input please.


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